Cyclone Nargis victims are fishing in the sea and river in the Irrawaddy delta for their survival, reconstruction, and rehabilitation. In most of these areas they do not have any food.

According to an aid worker who went to Pyinkayaing Island about 98 -km from Basserin Irrawaddy delta, some people have been searching for small prawns, crabs, and fish as food.  

 "While they do not want to eat sea fish because it had nibbled at corpses they have no option but to eat small prawn, crab, and fish because they did not get enough food supplies from aid workers. They know some of it could affect their health," he said.

The Burmese regime, however, told people that fish from the sea and rivers would not affect their health.

The survivors received about 6 pyi (Burmese measurement) from the NGOs and only 3 cans (Burmese measurement, 8 can per pyi) of rice from the Burmese government before the aid groups arrived.

People in villages where few aid organizations reached, searched for crabs under corpses for their meals, the aid worker who ate crabs with the villagers told IMNA.

He said crabs in Pyinkayaing Island near Higyi Kyun Island are bigger. The survivors sold crabs to the guests and donors in the area for some income.

"The survivors said that now they can catch more and more crabs than before including bigger ones. They find it under carcasses and bodies in the area," he said.

Moreover they can cook vegetables when ships come close to the jetty. Vegetables were destroyed during the cyclone as were betel nut and palm trees in the area.

Some have set up small shops selling commodities to local people and visitors. Some survivors are sending children to school with chairs. Some students are without chairs in the schools, so parents had to bring chairs.

An aid worker said that government organizations such as the USDA came to them to record the list of survivors and ostensibly to help them. But after a few hours many government officers and these groups disappeared.