The disasters may be so overwhelming that the mind reels against the scope of the tragedies. One seems to follow another so closely. There is a cyclone. There is an earthquake. And the numbers are staggering.
In Myanmar (Burma), the cyclone struck on May 2 – 3. Valid, accurate reports of the number of people that this impacted are difficult to obtain. The military rulers are not forthcoming with open disclosure of what has happened. There estimates reported by Associated Press are:
- approximately 78,000 people killed
- approximately 56,000 people missing
- approximately 2.4 million people homeless
- number of injuries unknown
It is difficult to comprehend such numbers. That was the natural disaster. What is following is a man-made disaster:
“YANGON, Myanmar (AP) — Myanmar’s military government is forcing cyclone victims out of shelters and refugee camps and sending some back to their devastated villages with virtually no aid supplies, United Nations and church officials said Friday.
Eight camps set up by the government for homeless victims in the Irrawaddy delta town of Bogalay are “totally empty,” UNICEF official Teh Tai Ring told a meeting of aid groups.”
link: UN: Myanmar forcing storm victims from camps
This is not the lead story of this news cycle. The Myanmar disaster only has cursory mention now. Instead, there is election coverage, Britney Spears news, the daily gasoline price report and so forth. Thousands of people are without the basics of food and shelter. It is criminal and the international community is slow to respond. These poor people do not have the luxury of time.
Catherine Forsythe
Director of Operations
FlyingHamster: http://flyinghamster.com/