Displaced people in Laputta (Myanmar) after Cyclone Nargis

"The town of Labutta is unrecognizable," explains Bridget Gardner from the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies. "I have been there before, and now - with the extent of the damage and the crowds of displaced people - it is a different place."

"Four or five volunteers are giving basic first aid to 200 people a day, and they don't even have homes to go back to when they finish. During the Cyclone, many people held onto trees to avoid being blown away. At the same time they were almost 'sand blasted' by dirt and saltwater. These people lost the top layer of their skin and it is important that these injuries are treated before infections can set in. This will takes a huge burden off the hospitals."

Photo: International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (p17624).

To find out more, go to www.ifrc.org/myanmar.