Luc Dumoulin, who lives in Montreal with his family, was in charge of coordinating relief supplies to the 20 townships in the Irrawaddy Delta — the hardest hit region.

During his time overseas, he was only able to leave the former capital of Yangon twice to get a first hand look at how the majority of Burmese people are coping since the devastating May 23 cyclone.

"They are living in very rural and isolated areas," he said. "They are very poor and with the cyclone, they basically lost the little they have so they are grateful for what they have received from the Red Cross."

Damage from the cyclone is now estimated at $4 billion, according to a joint report released Monday by the United Nations, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and Burma’s military government. Approximately 95 per cent of houses in the affected delta region were destroyed, leaving more than one million people homeless.

Anticipating a lengthy recovery process, the International Red Cross launched an appeal in early July in support of an effort to provide continuing aid for another three years.

"It’s not as easy as giving victims relief items like blankets or shelter anymore," said Dumoulin, who has been working in emergency services for over 14 years. "They need assistance in rebuilding their livelihood.

"It has been an extraordinary effort and the Canadian Red Cross will continue to support them as the focus shifts from emergency response to a longer term recovery plan.

"The operation is well underway, but considering the extent of the damage there is still a long road ahead."

Dumoulin, 42, was one of the few aid workers who did not have to wait weeks at the border before being given a visa to enter Burma. Based on his Red Cross affiliation, within 24 hours of applying, Dumoulin was granted access to the country by the military junta, which has been criticized for its slow response to the disaster.

"It’s clear that there are some procedural difficulties, like asking for a travel permit one week in advance," he said, "But fortunately, we were able to get authorization and distribute the relief items where they were needed most."

For more information on the Canadian Red Cross Burma relief program, visit www.redcross.ca.