MYANMAR: UN LAUNCHES POST-CYCLONE RECOVERY PLAN

Speaking at the launch of a plan to rebuild the lives of millions in Myanmar affected by last year’s Cyclone Nargis, the top United Nations official to the region today stressed that strong foundations need to be in place to move beyond emergency relief to restoring economies and social services.

The three-year Post-Nargis Response and Preparedness Plan (PONREPP) provides the blue-print for the reconstruction of communities devastated by the cyclone, which battered the country in early May, leaving around 140,000 dead or missing and displacing 800,000 from their homes.

“Strong institutions, effective mechanisms and accountable processes are needed to plan and orchestrate the various components of the recovery effort,” said Noeleen Heyzer, Executive Secretary of the UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (<"http://www.unescap.org/">ESCAP).

Noting that the process of recovery, from humanitarian relief to economic development, would take several years, Ms. Heyzer said the importance of the right “architecture” could not be overemphasized.

“The PONREPP provides us with a framework for the medium- and long-term post-Nargis recovery effort, including the priorities of supporting food security and livelihood recovery, improving public health, restoring economic and social infrastructure, and integrating disaster risk reduction into the recovery process,” she said.

The recovery plan was developed by the Tripartite Core Group (TCG) which consists of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), the Government of Myanmar and the UN.
To ensure that the Plan translates into real support for the survivors of Cyclone Nargis, “the continued engagement of the international community is essential,” Ms. Heyzer stressed in her message delivered at ESCAP headquarters in Bangkok.