There is an eerie calm in Yangon. While the authorities have almost completed the task of clearing the debris, the residents go about their daily business still shell-shocked by the worst natural disaster to hit Myanmar in 80 years.

For those of us who have been involved in other natural disasters, it is another humbling reminder of mankind's frailty in the face of nature and the Creator. When our team landed in Yangon, we were struck by a scene of total devastation, reminiscent of the tsunami that struck south east Asia four years ago, with trees 8 foot in diameter levelled to the ground.

We have faced huge challenges in our aid operation. There have also been communications challenges, with mobile phones reportedly costing $2000 - $2500. It has become a game to see how alternatives can be used to send out information.

As in most other disasters, the NGOs are working with the UN. But there is one difference in Yangon, as the cluster meetings are held largely in a vacuum, with very little sense of what is happening on the ground.

The living conditions of those who have survived are indescribable. In the village of Kungyangon, people were seen sifting through the remains of their homes in an almost catatonic state. The detritus of disaster occasionally offered up possessions like mangled bicycles or mementoes of a life before the horror swept through the village. All too often, though, it yielded the decomposing remains of those who were not quick enough to escape the deluge.

The acrid smell of death permeated the atmosphere. There were bloated dead bodies still floating in the paddy fields, which are also used by people for their drinking and bathing since there is no other source of water.

It has taken us about 10 days to establish ourselves within Yangon, and it has felt like a game of chess as we try to make the most strategic move possible.

In the aftermath of Cyclone Nargis, Muslim Aid launched a $2,000,000 appeal, which has so far seen the distribution of dry rations, medicine and water purification equipment through local partners. Partners are being trained by Muslim Aid staff to purify water and take it into the worst affected areas.

Very little aid has got through so far. With basic needs still not being met and with the threat of waterborne diseases dangerously close, the crisis is just beginning. The momentum will build as more aid gets through in the coming days and weeks.

There is much to be done. For now, people are in shock, but eventually people will have to begin looking after their own families, and homes will have to be rebuilt. But while cities can be rebuilt, the wounds of the heart will take longer, especially given the number of children that died in the quake.

For now the people are in shock and will need to rely on the generosity and goodwill of their neighbours - goodwill that has remained strong despite the various obstacles placed on the relief effort thus far. But the worry for many people is that when the world inevitably moves on to the next newsworthy story, the donations too will stop.

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