OVERVIEW & KEY DEVELOPMENTS: • Cyclone Nargis hit Myanmar on 2-3 May 2008, affecting some 2.4 million people living in Ayeyarwady and Yangon Divisions. Almost 140,000 people were killed or remain missing, according to the official figures. The high-level coordination mechanism, the Tripartite Core Group (TCG) consisting the Government of Myanmar, ASEAN and the UN, continues to facilitate planning, programming and delivery of humanitarian and recovery assistance by the humanitarian partners. Seven months on, much of emergency programming are wrapping up, and the humanitarian partners on the ground have been engaged in monitoring and review processes and forward-planning to transit to early recovery and medium term recovery in the Delta. In particular, programming for various livelihood recovery support has began in earnest, such as cash-for-work, food-for-work and grants involving recovery activities in social and small infrastructures. The support to the agriculture sector through the provision of inputs and training also continues.... • Under the TCG umbrella, the Periodic Review, building on the village tract Assessment (VTA) component of the Post-Nargis Joint Assessment (PoNJA), has completed data collection and is now finalising the report. Despite the postponement of the ASEAN summit, the results of the Periodic Review will be presented in-country later this month. The TCG plans to implement the Periodic Review at least twice more, in April and August 2009, so as to effectively monitor and report on recover progress at regular interval and inform planning and programming.... • On the transition to recovery, the TCG umbrella has initiated the process for ?Post Nargis Recovery and Preparedness Plan (PONREPP)? covering the medium term recovery needs, starting January 2009 for 3 years. The sectors covered in PONREPP are: livelihoods, shelter, education & training; health; WASH; disaster risk reduction; the environment; and the protection and vulnerable groups. The PONREPP also proposes the implementation and coordination modalities building on and enhancing the existing platforms, including the TCG, clusters, IASC and hub coordination mechanisms. The first draft will be presented to the TCG at its next regular meeting.... • A donor meeting, inviting donors based in Bangkok and Yangon, was organised on 9 December in Yangon, with thematic focus on gaps in the health sector and early recovery as well as on update on PONREPP. The meeting was followed by a donor visit to health-related project sites in Yangon area. The continuing need for sustained donor support for the health, agriculture and early recovery sectors was emphasised. Presentations on existing gaps in the health provision were made by MSF, Merlin, WHO, UNFPA and UNICEF. MSF presented their experience of large-scale programming in Myanmar over the preceding 14 years.... • The Myanmar revised Appeal ?Cyclone Nargis Response Plan? covers the emergency and early recovery needs up until April 2009. As of 11 December, according to the latest data from OCHA?s Financial Tracking Service (FTS)1, the total requirements are currently US$477 million, after the adjustments made this week to the food aid project requirements. The funding level is estimated 64% (US$304 million) with uncommitted pledges US$6.3 million recorded. Agriculture remains the least funded sector with only a quarter of the requirements (US$58.4 million) funded thus far. Outside of the Appeal, US$167.6 million in contribution and US$27 million in uncommitted pledges are reported to the FTS.