River ships bring medical aid to cyclone victims

Pandaw Cruises have been active in Burma since 1995 and have the logistical team in situ to operate our river ships to assist in the cyclone relief effort.

We have handed Pandaw IV over to Merlin, a UK based charity - www.merlin.org.uk. They are already in the field and have a team and supplies there with more supplies to follow by air cargo.

Pandaw IV is now on its way from Henzada where it met the Merlin team who are currently working on converting her to a hospital ship. The bar will become an operating theatre, the dining room a trauma ward, the sundeck a clinic.

A number of Burmese doctors and paramedics will join the Merlin team on board.

Pandaw II has now left Mandalay and is on the way to the Delta. She will also be handed over to Merlin as a floating hospital.

We will load Pandaw II with locally bought supplies in the Irrawaddy market towns as she makes the 5 day journey to the delta.

The Purser has good funds on board and more money is being transferred today to enable him to do buy bottled water, rice, medical supplies, building materials.

All these things are abundantly available up country and very cheap to buy. Much cheaper than flying them in (if they can get in).

The Pandaw Appeal has hired a 200ft barge and tug in Yangon which we will use to send supplies down to P2 and P4 at Laputta. This will be loaded with food, medical supplies and building materials bought locally and flown in once cleared.

This barge will then be moored in a secure mid stream position to act as distribution point and handed over to Merlin. Seagoing supply ships have no where to land (jettys were lost in the cyclone) so the barge pontoon will also act as an off loading centre.

So far our Pandaw Appeal has raised over $150,000 with over $70,000 from old passengers and a further $40,000 from corporate donors.

This is amazing and all our Pandaw team in Burma are totally moved by the outstanding generosity of our old Pandaw passengers and others.

In addition Pandaw Cruises has donated $50,000 to the Appeal to buy fuel for the mission and other supplies to be distributed.

Citimart the leading supermarket chain in Rangoon have made a substantial donation of food and water, now on board Pandaw IV.

An old friend based in Thailand has offered his two private planes to fly our people in and out. Many people have written in offering to go out and help. Right now we have enough people, what we need is more money!

You can help load our ships with vital supplies bought up country and sail them down. You can help pay for the fuel for these ships. Fuel prices have escalated since the crisis began.

We calculate that to hire a barge and tug for 3 months, load it up with locally bought supplies from Yangon to send it down will cost $100,000 per barge.

As insiders with over 25 years experience of working in Burma we are not confident that in bulk aid can be flown in and cleared through the airports speedily. We are doubtful if traditional diplomacy, the UN or the intervention of Asean or China can resolve this impasse.

We know we can supply our NGO partners from locally available supplies until an air bridge can be built. We move fast – no meetings or discussion – just real action.

The Pandaw team are all working pro bono on this project and there are NO administrative costs at all. We are absorbing these within our usual company operating expenses. We have a great team on the ground, expert in the logistics of Burma’s inland waters, and they are all totally enthusiastic about this mission.

Burma is a river country and understanding her rivers is the key to any successful operation there. This is what we are good at and where we can try and help.

All of us who have worked or traveled in Burma feel that this is a country that has touched us in some way. Now we can repay the Burma for all the warm hospitality and enriching experiences we have in the past enjoyed there.

Thank you for your support.

Paul Strachan