Best Practices for Mission Applications

Myanmar Periodic Review - Cyclon Nargis

—Eric Sawyer, iMMAP

Cyclone Nargis, perhaps the greatest natural disaster in the history of Myanmar, struck the coast of the country on 2 May 2008. Moving across the Ayeyarwady Delta and then southern Yangon Division over a day and a half, the storm affected more than 7 million people, who suffered loss of family, home and livelihoods. Since the tragedy, the Government of the Union of Myanmar (GoUM), the United Nations (UN), local and international non-government organisations (INGOs), local community-based organizations (CBOs), communities and private citizens have made extensive efforts to respond to the needs of the people whose lives were turned upside down by the cyclone. Much of the support continues eighteen months on. In September 2008, the Tripartite Core Group (TCG), consisting of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), the GoUM and the UN, initiated a series of assessments or 'reviews' among the cyclone-affected population to gauge relief and recovery efforts, identify people's needs and facilitate strategic decision making regarding further support. The TCG produced the fi ndings from the fi rst assessment in its first Periodic Review report in December 2008 and the second one in July 2009. A third assessment followed eighteen months after the cyclone to look at the progress of the recovery efforts. This third Periodic Review presents those findings. Prepared jointly by members of the Tripartite Core Group, all Periodic Review reports offer a 'snapshot' of the situation at a point in time among the affected population. The Periodic Review process monitors 'indicators' on the status of cyclone-affected people over a period of time in a set geographical area. The purpose of this monitoring is to obtain a picture of change or progress that can inform the decisions of various humanitarian partners when developing, evaluating, or adjusting their assistance strategies. For some indicators, the Periodic Review assesses needs, while for others it assesses performance.