Nargis one year on: Water supplies

Burma's low-lying Irrawaddy Delta - a vast and densely populated region criss-crossed by streams and rivers - bore the brunt of Cyclone Nargis. Thousands were trapped by the floods.

In the immediate aftermath of the storm, a 180ft river cruiser, usually used for transporting tourists, was turned into a floating clinic by the medical relief charity Merlin.

Daw Sein Aye says ponds started to run dry (Copyright: Merlin)

A year on, a smaller boat still delivers clean drinking water to some 90 villages in the area, where sources were contaminated by seawater.

Shwe Kone village is a four-hour boat ride from Labutta. Resident Daw Sein Aye says: "Since January, the water shortages have been really acute as the ponds started to run dry.

"There wasn't enough clean drinking water to go round and the children in the village started to become ill with diarrhoea.

"Before the boat started coming to here, we used to have to pay for a boat to take to us to collect water, but this was really expensive. And we really struggled to get the money together. Most of us lost everything during the cyclone."

A tidal surge tore through Daw Sein's village on 2 May 2008. She survived by clinging on to a tree outside her home, which eventually collapsed on top of her.

"A wooden post pierced my leg and I was bleeding profusely. I was in a lot of pain.

"I later found out that my husband, daughter and youngest son had died. I was completely devastated and didn't know what to do with myself.

"Naw Million Thin [a community health worker trained by Merlin] took care of me, treated my wound, and organised for a boat to transfer me to a hospital.

"When I was discharged I went to live in a camp as I was afraid that coming back would remind me of everything. I was very depressed. But after a while I wanted to come back and be with people that I knew."