Myanmar Cyclone Disaster Worsens (update 3)

Digg

StumbleUpon

Delicious

Myanmar Cyclone Disaster Worsens (update 3)

RAIN & RELIEF: Seasonal rains may make life even harder for survivors of Cyclone Nargis. International aid begins to flow into Myanmar, but reaches less than 2% of those in need.

by Thea Deley
Informify Staff Writer
May 16, 2008

The government-run Myanmar media reports 28,458 people died in the storm and 33,416 are missing. International aid organizations list the dead and missing much higher.

Cyclone Nargis: Quick Facts

Storm Hit:	May 2, 2008
Estimated Dead:	120,000
Still Missing:	80,000
# People Affected:	1.6 million to 2.5 million
# People Helped:	270,000
Help Needed:	food and water, shelter, medical aid, boats, trucks, more relief workers

Current Threats to Nargis Refugees

SMore than 1 million people have not received any help yet, almost two weeks after the storm. They face numerous challenges, including:

disease
hunger
lack of relief workers—government not allowing many international relief workers into country
seasonal rains—may cause floods and slow down relief efforts

New Relief Developments

The Myanmar government continues to impede aid workers trying to get supplies into the country.

Military checkpoints prevent people from reaching those in need.
Myanmar military now allowing some international relief workers into the country, but only on a case-by-case basis.
UN sending its top humanitarian expert, John Holmes, to Myanmar to try and convince government to allow more international relief workers into the country.
Myanmar government approved a request by Shelterbox, a U.K.-based charity, to fly in supplies. The plane landed at Yangon airport yesterday and included tents, mosquito nets, and water purification tablets.
About 45 other planes filled with aid landed in Myanmar from various locations over the last 10 days.
Another relief organization, Tearfund, managed to distribute food, water, shelter and medical supplies to 23,000 people.
Monday a U.S. military C-13 cargo plane carrying 14 tons of supplies landed in Yangon, Myanmar.
Medecins Sans Frontieres and Medecins du Monde have managed to get in 56 tons of medical supplies

Myanmar’s Military Regime: Constitution over Cyclone

The military-led government held a referendum election last Saturday in areas not impacted by the cyclone. The junta claims 92% of voters approved a new constitution. The opposition party, the National League for Democracy, says the new constitution changes nothing, and only reinforces the military’s power.