An emergency appeal has been launched by Pandaw River Expeditions following severe flooding in Burma which have left at least 27 people dead.
Unprecedented levels of monsoon rainfall have left whole regions under water. Many thousands of village people are now homeless and have lost livestock and food supplies.
Pandaw will dispatch the vessel Kalay Pandaw this week carrying 100 tons of rice and a full medical team. The Kalay, with a draft of only 2.5ft, will be able to penetrate inland areas to deliver food and medical aid.
Purser Ko Win Hlaing, who masterminded Pandaw’s charity relief operation in the wake of Cyclone Nargis in 2007, will once again assume command.
He masterminded the Pandaw Family Box, containing life essentials, and will work on reviving this again.
Pandaw has the ships, team and supporters to be able to be first in and last out of the disaster zone.
Sagaing and Magwe divisions near the Pandaw Charity operational base at Pagan are severely affected and the island villages where Pandaw operates clinics are now under water.
The Pandaw Charity was established following Cyclone Nargis in 2008 when the Pandaw ships, converted to floating hospitals, and their crews saved so many lives.
The UK-registered Pandaw Charity operates seven Pandaw Clinics in Burma which provide an average of 5,000 free treatments a month with a full time team of 20 medics, paramedics and pharmacists.
The charity is entirely sponsored by donations from Pandaw passengers and a profit share from Pandaw River Expeditions.
Commercial director Hugh Clayson said: “Fortunately the Pandaw Charity has a good reserve fund and is able to fund the initial supply of food and medication.
“The Pandaw Charity can move fast but we will need all the help we can get. Thank you for helping the people of Burma.”