Operation USA has deployed staff already stationed in Asia to assess the needs of what is likely to be millions of victims of the recent cyclone which destroyed or devastated wide swaths of Myanmar (aka Burma), especially in or near Yangon (formerly its capital Rangoon) and its coastal areas. The cyclone saw winds of over 120 miles per hour strike communities living largely in housing made of bamboo and unable to withstand winds of such magnitude.

Temporary shelter, water purification chemicals and medical supplies are among the most urgently needed items. Funds collected will be spent on these and other priority supplies.

Richard Walden, President of Operation USA, expressed, ?We expect that this unusually tragic event will soften the Burmese Government?s attitude towards international relief and that they will allow relief agencies full access to victims of this tragedy.?

Operation USA has worked with Burmese refugees for over 15 years all along the Burma-Thailand border.