The situation of older peoplein cyclone-affected Myanmar: Nine months after the disaster

The cyclone that struck Myanmar on 2 May 2008 quickly
became the country’s most devastating disaster.
Cyclonic winds, heavy rainfall and in some coastal
areas, a 4 metre tidal surge, left a death toll of 84,537
victims, with 53,836 people regarded as missing and
19,359 injured. Overall, cyclone Nargis severely affected
some 2.4 million people (of an estimated 7.35 million
people living in the affected townships). Of them, an
estimated 200,000 were 55 years or older at the time of
the disaster.
In addition to the human toll, the cyclone ruined most
of the fertile fields, contaminated most of the water
supply and destroyed hundreds of thousands of unstable
houses and other vital infrastructure such as health
facilities.