Support for VICTIMS of Cyclone Nargis, updated on 12th May
May 12, 2008
28,458 Dead(official); 102,000 Dead(estimated); 33,416 Missing (official);2 million Affected(estimated)
Check out our OPEN CALL now for details how you can contribute to help the affected people:
http://nicainburma.wordpress.com/open-call/
We have made it a permanent page on the blog site, so check it out!
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Ex-Rangoon resident | May 18, 2008 at 4:37 pm
Recovering a little from the initial shock of the scale of destruction wrought by cyclone Nargis in a country already so poor and ridden with massive problems, I am just now able to write something. Having stayed inside the types of simple huts made with thin wood or bamboo flooring, walls and roofs of bamboo and atap, inhabited by most people in Burma, I could imagine that little would be standing after a devastating cyclone.
What we have seen from the media and some photos sent to us privately confirmed that our worst nightmares are confirmed. Many areas in the outskirts of Yangon are badly hit, and the Irrawaddy Delta area (which means the rice-bowl of Burma is destroyed and this will affect long term problems of food supply). Images of uprooted old old trees that I revered and was the source of my pleasure when I was living in Yangon; of bloated corpses floating in ponds of water and in paddy fields; and rows and rows of children’s lifeless bodies, have all been too heart breaking.
The worse is yet to come, according to health experts. They warn of water-borne diseases, that will spread quickly given the military government’s slow response in medical and clean up work. Many victims have untreated wounds inflicted by the storm; a reporter saw a man with his leg cut off unattended to, and other reports of victims being sewn up with rusty needles. In better times, I have been acquainted with tales of horror in Burmese government hospitals – a writer who is a trained MD we know personally has told me he no longer practised medicine as he could not bear the despair of working in hospitals that are not equiped, that do not have decent surgical tools to deal with patient care, do not even have enough beds that patients have to sleep in corridors and by staircases. In times like this, I cant imagine the scale of the medical emergency. And yet the junta are not allowing entry to those trained and equipped to attend to the casualties. (Expletives censored).
We should know by now the levels of fear (phobia), selfishness and insecurity that the military leaders operate with, fear of foreign aid workers leading locals into uprisings; unwillingness for “merit” to be given to foreigners, fear of admitting their inadequacy of dealing with the distress. They have begun just 2 days ago to start opening up to western relief efforts (prior to that they only accepted from Burma-friendly governments) but it’s been called “drip-feed”, given the serious response that is required.
I have received news that even the bigger international foreign aid organisations based in Burma have now begun distributing their money secretly to the grassroot groups, as these organisations face strict controls and denied access to many local tragedy stricken areas. I believe that the local relief agents who work on the ground are the ones who will be able to find the best solution and way around the restrictions imposed by the regime. They will be able to relief starvation and shelter needs of the people but medical aid is an immediate priority. We need to apply more international diplomacy and pressure to allow medical aid and relief to be sent to victims of the cyclone.