The road between Rangoon and the city of Laputta in the southwest is demanding both for vehicules and people. A good day the journey takes eight hours, a bad day 13.

This is forbidden area for foreign tourists and journalists. But the Red Cross has convinced the authorities that the world must see what the humanitarian situation is like after the cyclone Nargis.

Laputta had around 60000 inhabitans before the cyclone. Laputta itself was hard hit. Hundreds of people lost their lives and most buildings were damaged by heavy winds and flooding. Laputta has reclaimed some its former glory. This is a rich city, the fishing industry and the intensive transport business to and from the delta provides a decent income for the inhabitants.

Behind what looks like normality you find the hidden scars. In her well ironed blouse and green skirt 17 year Cho Cho Tin looks like other schoolgirls here in Laputta. But Cho Cho Tin lost both her mother and father in the cyclone, she was their only child. Now she lives at an orphanage together with 6 other children.

Interview CHO CHO TIN, 17.

I feel so sad when it is raining because I am so afraid that it will happen again. I cry every day when peope ask about my parents

3000 schools were destroyed during the cyclone. Many of the 130000 victims were children. 11 year ald Saw May Tho lost his parents and all his ten sisters and brothers. Cho Cho Tin has become both big sister and mother for Saw May Tho and the other children.

Interview Cho Cho Tin, 17

I was the only child (in my family), now I live with these children. I take care of the as they were my own sisters and brothers. I help cooking for them and I bathe them.

Laputta is the centre for relief work in the region. Every day organisations like the Red Cross delivers mosquito nets, tarpaulins and food to people in the delta. The cyclone struck 6 months ago and still relief has not reached everybody.

Interview HLA THA SHWE

President Myanmar Red Cross Society.

Does relief reach people in the delta? After two hours ride a relief boat loaded with tools, food and mosquito nets reach a small village that lost ten inhabitants and all houses. The water reached up to my neck says Khin Thar Yi. During six hours she was standing on a wooden box holding on tightly to her children 

Interview Khin Thar Yi

I am afraid when it rains and there are heavy winds. I fear new cyclones.

The children are also afraid that it will happen again.

The rice will soon be harvested, but saltwater has penetrated the paddies and nobody knows if the next harvest will be enough to feed the 25 families in the village.

Interview Khin Thar Yi

We lack especially food, and kitchen utensils and plates.

I can not even collect rainwater,

my only pot was lost.

The president of the Myanmar Red Cross was appointed by the junta. He believes that the main relief problem in the initial face was not a result of the strained relations between the regime and international donors.

Synk HLA THA SHWE

President Myanmar Red Cross

The relief boat takes us to the next village. It is hot and extremely humid.

Organisations like the Red Cross has distributed thousands of tons of food, millions of chlorine tablets and other goods.

But 2,5 million people were affected by the cyclone. Dengue feber, tuberculosis and malaria are widespread diseases and hit the most vulnerable.

Most peoples don’t have to sleep under the sky, but their simple houses were built in a rush and cannot stand heavy rain. One of the relief workers says that the poor building quality is one of their most difficult challenges.

Interview Steve Barter, shelter delegate IFRC

The villagers say that they have even more urgent problems than well built houses. Jobs are scarce and so is food.  

Interview Khin Htay Kyi

After the cyclone we have very little food.

Sometimes, if we have an occasional job we can aford food

other days we dont have any.

Kin The Chis husband lost his boats and his nets, so did 50 other fishermen in the village.

Interview Tin Sein, fd fiskare

We don’t have any fishing equipment left,

and no money to buy new gear.

After three days in the delta I realize that the villages I visited are not unique in anyway, this is the what situation is like in thousands of villages. After the tsunami in 2004 affected countries received a flow of aid from all around the world. But Myanmar is in many ways a closed country and six months after the cyclone that claimed so many lives the relief organizations are still struggling to provide the barest daily necessities.