Singapore Red Cross sends $50k disaster aid to Myanmar

SINGAPORE – The Singapore Red Cross (SRC) will be sending $50,000 to Myanmar to support disaster relief efforts in the wake of Typhoon Yagi and severe flooding, said the charity in a statement on Sept 20.

This will be its latest contribution, along with its commitment of $50,000 each towards humanitarian aid for Laos and Vietnam, which was announced on Aug 29 and Sept 12 respectively.

In Myanmar, SRC said the amount will fund the distribution of food, clean water, hygiene kits, and other essential supplies to the communities hardest hit by the disaster, adding that water filters will also be sent in the coming weeks due to the urgent need for safe drinking water.

In Laos, SRC’s three-member response team arrived on Sept 16 for relief operations and to provide assistance based on the victims’ needs.

The team set foot in the northern province of Luang Namtha, where 40,000 people across two districts – Thong Kua and Tavanh villages – are in urgent need of assistance.

In Thong Kua village, the team distributed household kits containing blankets, mosquito nets and other items. In Tavanh village, the team demonstrated the use of water filters to Lao Red Cross volunteers and the villagers, supporting their access to clean drinking water, SRC said.

The team will remain in Laos until Sept 24. If additional support is required, SRC is prepared to deploy further teams to assist in recovery efforts, it added.

Fifty water filters have also been delivered by SRC to Laos through Singapore Armed Forces’s Changi Regional Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief Coordination Centre.

SRC will deploy another three-person team to Vietnam in October to support early recovery efforts.

Plans are underway to send a team to Yangon, where discussions will focus on enhancing joint efforts for relief and recovery operations in Myanmar, and addressing both urgent and ongoing needs in the hardest-hit communities, said SRC.

Mr Benjamin William, secretary general and chief executive officer of the SRC, said: “The loss of lives, including children and the elderly, and the mass displacement of communities, has caused much devastation and heartbreak. In times of crisis, solidarity is our greatest strength.

“We have swiftly mobilised humanitarian aid to provide critical support to the affected communities, as they navigate the aftermath of this catastrophe. At the same time, we are working in close coordination with our sister National Societies across South-east Asia to share available resources, and we stand ready to provide additional assistance.”

He added that he hopes Singaporeans will be able to contribute to SRC’s fund-raising appeal on floods in South-east Asia.

Those who wish to donate to SRC’s fund-raiser can do so on SRC’s website or on Giving.sg website.

For PayNow contributions, donations can be made to UEN “S86CC0370EBLD”, with “Southeast Asia Floods” in the comments.

Those who prefer donating via cheques can make them payable to “Singapore Red Cross Society” and post them to Red Cross House, 15 Penang Lane, Singapore 238486, along with their names, postal addresses and “Southeast Asia Floods” indicated at the back of the cheques. 

In-person donations are also accepted at the same Singapore Red Cross address from Monday to Friday, 9am to 6pm. 

Heavy floods and landslides triggered by Typhoon Yagi have killed more than 500 people across South-east Asia, with homes, roads and bridges destroyed, according to local media.

Vietnam, with nearly 300 casualties, has been the hardest hit, while more than 220 in Myanmar have died, with the death toll expected to rise.

At least four have died in Laos, where many have evacuated to higher ground for safety, according to the Asean humanitarian assistance coordinator.