More than 1,000 ShelterBoxes were flown out to Myanmar on Wednesday 14 May, thanks to the generous donations from Rotary members.

Cornish-based ShelterBox, the grassroots disaster relief organization set up by UK Rotary members, chartered the DC 10 aid flight from East Midlands Airport in Birmingham, and packed it with 1,050 boxes destined to help thousands of cyclone survivors.

Patrick Olson, a US ShelterBox Relief Team (SRT) member, accompanied the boxes and will be joining the existing four specially trained volunteers who have been on the ground in Yangon since last Thursday (May 8). David Eby, another US SRT member, will join them shortly.

ShelterBox, the first UK based relief team to have landed in Myanmar, have already organised the distribution of 400 boxes to cyclone victims.

The boxes were transported by local authorities to the Delta region using trucks and boats and tents were set up with the help of local fire services, trained by the ShelterBox response team in Yangon.

UK ShelterBox response team leader Ian Neal, on the ground in the capital city Yangon, said: "All teams in Yangon have now been trained on the ShelterBox contents and setting up of tents.

"We plan to distribute 500 boxes plus 50 blue boxes to Ngaputaw in the South West Delta region, 250 boxes to Labutta Delta, and 250 to Bogale. The boxes will be transported straight off the aircraft onto trucks and then into affected areas with the local staff in field."

Tom Henderson, ShelterBox founder and Rotary club member, added: "Our team of volunteers are working in cooperation with local groups in Myanmar to line up transportation and determine where the shelters will do the most good amid the massive devastation.

"We have received tremendous support from Rotarians and would like to extend our thanks. Without the support of our Rotary friends we would not be able to carry out this essential work."

Up to 100,000 people are estimated to have died in the cyclone and 70,000 people are still missing, and the destruction of entire communities has left tens of thousands of people homeless.

Each ShelterBox container provides a tent, blankets, a multi-fuelled stove, a water purification kit, tools and other necessities to help a family of 10 survive for six months. Some containers carried two 10-person tents, doubling the shelter capacity.

ShelterBox started in 2001 as a modest project by the Rotary Club of Helston-Lizard, England, and quickly garnered support among Rotary clubs worldwide.

To date, ShelterBox has raised £15.5m and delivered aid to 40 countries in response to more than 70 disasters.

Each ShelterBox container costs an estimated £490 to sponsor, and Rotary clubs provide more than half of the charity's funding.