Suggestions from a
relief expert
These are the organisations I recommend as having the best capacity for
immediate relief work, who can also receive funds from abroad
There are many organisations doing fine work in the
country, but most are development organisations, now working hard in disaster
relief.
I don't think it makes sense for small individual
donors to give to the major international organisations like the World Food
Programme,
International Federation of Red Cross and so on. They get their funding in the
millions, and it probably costs them more to deal with
individual donations than it is worth.
MSF and CARE [websites for both at bottom] specialise
in relief, and Merlin was already present doing
water and sanitation
improvement in Laputta.
But don't forget the health, reconstruction, and
development organisations in a few months' time. A look at the field offices of
INGOs
listed on http://www.ngoinmyanmar.org shows only Merlin [see website at bottom] present in the delta. However, more are sure
to
be active in reconstruction. (Please
note that Habitat for Humanity's office is in
in the country, although they feature Nargis on their website.)
Or a local NGO which you can donate to online, I recommend Gitameit,
wose people are already at work in disaster relief
(instead of the
usual music). You can also donate to
Foundation for the People of Burma at this site, who will do development and
reconstruction later,
as well as relief: http://www.gitameit.com/wp/page/4/
For international NGOs with the highest capacity for
working in the Delta, I recommend: MSF – Holland,
http://www.doctorswithoutborders.org/news/article.cfm?id=2656 and CARE https://my.care.org/05/myanmar/?qp_source=170860490000
and Merlin http://www.merlin.org.uk/Lists/News-Detail.aspx?id=687