´Undeterred Despite the Obstacles´: American Refugee Committee Responds to Tragedy in Myanmar

MINNEAPOLIS, May. 10 /PRNewswire/ --

MINNEAPOLIS, May 10 /PRNewswire/ -- The American Refugee Committee (ARC) is delivering relief supplies to the survivors of the tragedy in Myanmar. In partnership with World Vision, ARC will provide life-saving medical supplies and food, including items such as water purification tablets, medicines, and mosquito nets to thousands of survivors.

ARC will also send a relief team to the region next week, pending visas. The team will be led by ARC Thailand Country Director Gary Dahl and include experts in logistics and medical care.

"The operating environment is incredibly challenging, but we at ARC remain undeterred despite the obstacles," said Hugh Parmer, ARC President. "We are ready to assist those who have lost so much in this unimaginable tragedy."

ARC has a long history of working with refugees from Myanmar and in conducting disaster relief in this region. ARC currently provides relief services in Thailand to more than 300,000 people, most of whom are from Myanmar. And in 2004, ARC launched an extensive tsunami relief program which restored boats for fishermen who had lost them in the tsunami. The project was later recognized by the Bush-Clinton Foundation for its effectiveness and was awarded a $1 million grant.

ABOUT THE AMERICAN REFUGEE COMMITTEE: The American Refugee Committee (ARC) is a nonprofit, nonsectarian international humanitarian relief organization. For 29 years, ARC has worked to save and improve the lives of refugees and others uprooted by tragedy throughout Africa and Asia. ARC currently assists nearly 3 million refugees and displaced people in 8 countries around the world. Visit www.ARCrelief.org for more information.