Anyone listening to the media knows about the severe cyclone that took thousands of lives in Myanmar on May 3. The hurricane was literally so destructive that it changed the terrain, leaving much of the Irrawaddy Delta flooded. The International Federation of Red Cross estimated the total population affected by the cyclone at between 1.6 million and 2.5 million. An estimated 2 million survivors are still in need of emergency aid, but U.N. agencies and other groups have been able to reach only 270,000 people so far. The UN today put the confirmed death toll at 38,491, with another 27,800 people missing. Hardship and hunger Are no stranger to the country of Myanmar. Before Tropical Cyclone Nargis struck, about one in three children in the country formerly known as Burma were malnourished. Now untold numbers of corpses have been left rotting in ground that is little more than a saltwater swamp, thousands of hungry people are begging in the streets, and most rice stocks are soaked and ruined. Fishing boats along the coast have helped ferry survivors to safety but can't make enough rounds a day to rescue everyone. “The trip is a stomach-wrenching journey”, said Maung U, a 36-year-old driver of a rescue boat. "Each trip takes five or six hours through a narrow waterway littered with dead bodies," he said. "Every few meters, you see another dead body, human or animal." Reading about such tragedy has left the question of “what can I do” circling in my head. I already took the liberty to donate to Gospel for Asia, an organization that has apparently been able to assist as it’s staff are comprised of locals to the area. Yet, is that it? I have food and a comfortable home and yet thousands are in need of a simple cup of rice and shelter. At first I brushed this situation off as a tragedy that’s beyond me, but I found a quote that has left me asking if I can do more: “Love will find a way. Indifference will find an excuse.” (Anonymous) (note some of this article was taken from a variety of news articles)
In addition to this article, I have comprised more exhaustive informative update of the situation in Myanmar by piecing together pieces of news articles and the history of Myanmar from the web (see the previous post). I think it is important to be well informed on the plights of neighbors both distant and near, so in case you’re still a bit unfamiliar of the situation, feel free to read. You may note that a bit of artistic license was used, and while the following was produced mainly form news articles, it is from my viewpoint, and contains many of my opinions about the situation.
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