When cyclone Nargis hit Myanmar it brought nothing but death and destruction. The government has been severly overwhelmed and prideful in the past about being able to handle anything. The whole country is in mourning…but is in crisis mode just to survive themselves. This is a situation that is going to require help from other nations but, overcoming past suspicions is not easy. Accepting help that is being offered is going to be the key to rebuilding their country.
The destruction of land, property, and lives is such, that it is going to take massive relief from other countries. The sooner the Myanmar government “allows” this help the better. The numbers are being contested and thrown about here and there…but, there is no doubt that the loss of lives is massive. It is estimated that over 22,000 people are dead and 41,000 people are unaccounted for or missing. Those numbers are subject to change and not for the better i am afraid.
The peoples of Myanmar are angry…angry because of a government crackdown on peaceful protests by monks back in September. The people of Myanmar don’t feel that the government properly prepared the people for this storm. Some precautions could have been taken, with proper notice, to find some safety for many of the people. They were caught unprepared.
Now, the Irrawady delta region was flooded by the massive storm surge and not only the lives were lost but the area of the delta which is called the rice bowl. This is where the large portions of rice were grown and produced. This will have long lasting effects on the country because of the lives lost and the ability to earn income in that area that was devastated.
The government of Myanmar did ask for assistance from other countries which is unheard of. This should tell us that the circumstances are dire indeed. Now, relief efforts are underway. This will require large scale coordination of aid workers.
Fresh water, food supplies, building supplies, medicines and clothing and other basic necessities are scarce. This is all in relation to the damage from the storm. Think about the large scale need to bury this many bodies before disease sets in to the area. I am sure that the military will have to pitch in to help bury this many dead people. These deaths could cause massive infections and diseases if the bodies of those lost is not properly taken care of.
In the meantime, cleaning up the damage is critical to getting the aid workers into the region. Giving them room to work that is safe for those offering help. Pray for those who are grieving and trying to survive physically at the same time. Time and genuine human compassion are required not to mention funding. Relief efforts will also require teamwork. The fear is going to be tremendous at a time like this. We need to unite at times like this…because, therefore, but for the grace of God…this disaster could be visited upon any of our countries, at any time.
Write where you are 