Construction of schools-cum-storm shelters in Myanmar Back to
school – in buildings that offer a «safe haven» during natural
disasters Access to formal education has been restored in the
areas of the Ayeyarwaddy Delta in Myanmar that were devastated
by Cyclone Nargis. The first 30 permanent primary schools-cum-
storm shelters have been completed: children can resume their
education and the communities have a «safe haven» during natural
disasters. The process for constructing the remaining 10
schools-cum-shelters began in 2012. Tropical Cyclone Nargis
struck Myanmar in May 2008 and devastated large parts of the
low-lying Ayeyarwaddy Delta, taking about 140,000 lives and
destroying or damaging more than 2000 schools. About 2.5 million
people were in need of assistance. The Delta is an area where
the food security of most communities fluctuated from season to
season, even before the disaster. With the support of the
international humanitarian community, the most immediate of the
people’s needs were met and infras