Cyclone: 50,000 Feared Dead

[the iron horse]

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/new...cle3879492.ece

[Harry Vest]

What started out at 350 people is now at 50,000!!!!!!!!
What the fuck???

[JCOSTER]

This is soooo heart breaking. Let's see how much China will help these poor people.

[Liesje]

When I heard on the news that the USA was offering $250K in aid, I spat my drink, and I wasn't even drinking! I know couples that have paid more than $250K just for their education....that's ALL we could come up with?!?!?!

[JCOSTER]

I truly think China should come to the rescue, after all they want to run the country their way don't they?

[last unicorn]

That's so horrible, the numbers are constantly rising. It's always the poorest regions in the world that are affected by such catastrophes. And the military regime doesn't want to let too many foreign aid workers into the countries. The way they are controlling foreign aid makes me doubt that there will be any kind of effective help for the victims.

[Purplereign]

I heard that some of the foreign aid offered has actually been knocked back - pretty poor effort if its true

Absolutely heartbreaking story - hope the rest of the world rallies as they did with the tsunamis a few years back.
:Pray: for the survivors that they receive the help they so desperately need

[Pearl]

Breaking News:

WASHINGTON - The top U.S. diplomat in Myanmar says 100,000 may have died in the cyclone and that 95 percent of buildings in the affected area are demolished.

Shari Villarosa heads the U.S. embassy in the capital Rangoon. She says food and water are running short in the Myanmar delta area inundated by the storm. She called the situation in that area "increasingly horrendous."

Villaros told reporters Wednesday: "There is a very real risk of disease outbreaks as long as this continues."

She said that almost all the deaths are in the delta area. In the capital, some 600-700 people may have died. Villarosa also said she does not think the military rulers in Myanmar are blocking U.S. assistance because of the Bush administration's past strong criticism of the junta.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080507/..._pe/us_myanmar

[vaz02]

I find it hard to care about those been left homeless in the wake of the cyclone when those caught up in the floods in britain last year are still living in caravans. The elderly cant afford to keep themselves warm in the winter. People living in dire accomodation, fit not even for animals. The list really is endless. How about putting the needs of your own people first Mr Brown ?

[Pearl]

I had no idea that people were still suffering from the floods. The media never reports on it

[U2Fanatic4ever]

let met tell you I am so outraged at the situation there I am at a complete loss for words right now.. What is this f'd up gov't doing? They are killing their own people... The numbers could reach as much as 500,000 people dead here soon..

They just seized a HUGE AMOUNT of supplies from the UN...

here's the article:

UN halts aid to Myanmar after junta seizes supplies 14 minutes ago



YANGON, Myanmar - Myanmar's junta seized U.N. aid shipments Friday meant for a multitude of hungry and homeless survivors of last week's devastating cyclone, forcing the world body to suspend further help.


The aid included 38 tons of high-energy biscuits and arrived in Myanmar on Friday on two flights from Bangladesh and the United Arab Emirates.

"All of the food aid and equipment that we managed to get in has been confiscated," U.N. World Food Program spokesman Risley said.

"For the time being, we have no choice but to end further efforts to bring critical needed food aid into Myanmar at this time," he said.

At least 62,000 people are dead or missing in Myanmar, entire villages are submerged in the Irrawaddy delta and aid groups warned that the area is on the verge of a medical disaster.

The U.N. has grown increasingly critical of Myanmar's military rulers' refusal to let foreign aid workers into the country while the junta appeared overwhelmed and more than 1 million homeless people waited for food, medicine and shelter.

"The frustration caused by what appears to be a paperwork delay is unprecedented in modern humanitarian relief efforts," Risley said. "It's astonishing."

The junta said in a statement Friday it was grateful to the international community for its assistance — which has included 11 chartered planes loaded with aid supplies — but the best way to help was just to send in material rather than personnel.

Nearly a week after the storm, survivors are now having to contend with rotting corpses of people and animals as they wait for food, clean water and medicine.

"Many are not buried and lie in the water. They have started rotting and the stench is beyond words," Anders Ladekarl, head of the Danish Red Cross.

About 20,000 body bags were being sent so volunteers from the Myanmar chapter of the Red Cross can start collecting bodies, he said.

The U.N. was putting together an urgent appeal to fund aid efforts over the next six months. Spokeswoman Elisabeth Byrs told reporters that the exact amount of the appeal would be specified later Friday.

The International Organization for Migration says it is asking for $8 million as part of the appeal. The U.N. refugee agency says it needs $6 million to fund the immediate shelter and household needs of 250,000 people.

[vaz02]

Wasnt the country supposed to hold some sort of referendum this week ? could the government be stalling aid attempts to kill off voters.

[Vincent Vega]

I guess the plan rather is to seize the aid and then give them to the public themselves, thus carrying the picture that they are helping their own people so generously. This will ensure much more voters than if the UN and other nations came to provide the public with those necessities.
It would also be a more effective strategy than to try to kill your voters off.

[sue4u2]

Originally posted by U2Fanatic4ever
let met tell you I am so outraged at the situation there I am at a complete loss for words right now.. What is this f'd up gov't doing? They are killing their own people... The numbers could reach as much as 500,000 people dead here soon..

They just seized a HUGE AMOUNT of supplies from the UN...

here's the article:

UN halts aid to Myanmar after junta seizes supplies 14 minutes ago



YANGON, Myanmar - Myanmar's junta seized U.N. aid shipments Friday meant for a multitude of hungry and homeless survivors of last week's devastating cyclone, forcing the world body to suspend further help.


The aid included 38 tons of high-energy biscuits and arrived in Myanmar on Friday on two flights from Bangladesh and the United Arab Emirates.

"All of the food aid and equipment that we managed to get in has been confiscated," U.N. World Food Program spokesman Risley said.

"For the time being, we have no choice but to end further efforts to bring critical needed food aid into Myanmar at this time," he said.

At least 62,000 people are dead or missing in Myanmar, entire villages are submerged in the Irrawaddy delta and aid groups warned that the area is on the verge of a medical disaster.

The U.N. has grown increasingly critical of Myanmar's military rulers' refusal to let foreign aid workers into the country while the junta appeared overwhelmed and more than 1 million homeless people waited for food, medicine and shelter.

"The frustration caused by what appears to be a paperwork delay is unprecedented in modern humanitarian relief efforts," Risley said. "It's astonishing."

The junta said in a statement Friday it was grateful to the international community for its assistance — which has included 11 chartered planes loaded with aid supplies — but the best way to help was just to send in material rather than personnel.

Nearly a week after the storm, survivors are now having to contend with rotting corpses of people and animals as they wait for food, clean water and medicine.

"Many are not buried and lie in the water. They have started rotting and the stench is beyond words," Anders Ladekarl, head of the Danish Red Cross.

About 20,000 body bags were being sent so volunteers from the Myanmar chapter of the Red Cross can start collecting bodies, he said.

The U.N. was putting together an urgent appeal to fund aid efforts over the next six months. Spokeswoman Elisabeth Byrs told reporters that the exact amount of the appeal would be specified later Friday.

The International Organization for Migration says it is asking for $8 million as part of the appeal. The U.N. refugee agency says it needs $6 million to fund the immediate shelter and household needs of 250,000 people.

This was a good article I just finished reading

http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Southea.../JE10Ae01.html

ack... can't do this with my phone ringing off the hook

[sue4u2]

Originally posted by Vincent Vega
I guess the plan rather is to seize the aid and then give them to the public themselves, thus carrying the picture that they are helping their own people so generously. This will ensure much more voters than if the UN and other nations came to provide the public with those necessities.
It would also be a more effective strategy than to try to kill your voters off.

What kind of referendum?

I can't see how in the world they are going to be able to pull off any type of voting. My God - so many people dead, no electricity,
no food. too many people cant vote due to not being able to get around in the destruction.

ETS: never mind on the referendum question:

Myanmar places votes before relief
By Larry Jagan

BANGKOK - Disregarding the disaster caused by Cyclone Nargis, Myanmar's military rulers are bent on holding a constitutional referendum on Saturday, said to be designed to enhance the junta's grip over the country.

Yeah, why let a national disaster get in the way of politics.
geez

[Vincent Vega]

It's a dictatorship. They don't care one iota about their own people. They haven't since they've taken over the country.

[sue4u2]

Originally posted by Vincent Vega
It's a dictatorship. They don't care one iota about their own people. They haven't since they've taken over the country.

Yeah, that's true... but I think,. hope - they've just signed their own death warrant of power.
This is different -and the world won't stand for it.
Wait - there's Darfur..
nevermind -

[Butterscotch]

You know how when somebody doesn't feed their kid or take care of them the welfare comes and takes them away? Can we take these people away from their gov't?

[vaz02]

Originally posted by Butterscotch
You know how when somebody doesn't feed their kid or take care of them the welfare comes and takes them away? Can we take these people away from their gov't?

Their people are not in our jurisdiction so i guess that would be abduction on a grand scale.

[sue4u2]

I was watching a reporter this morning on CNN having to sneak out of the hotel, for fear of being followed. The military finally caught up with him and he convinced them that he should just leave.
He also said that the refugees he met in a camp from the hardest hit area, the delta, clammed up and wouldn't talk to him when he started talking about what the government of Myanmar was doing to help them.
They said that camp would be closed due to no food and they were nearly out of water. The government said they could go back where they came from.
Yeah, there was so much there, that's why they left.