Burma Flooded, Aid Stalled
NASA has posted these shots of the Burma/Myanmar coast before and after Monday’s cyclone.
From NASA:
“The entire coastal plain is flooded in the May 5 image. The fallow agricultural areas appear to have been especially hard hit. For example, Yangôn (population over 4 million) is almost completely surrounded by floods. Several large cities (population 100,000–500,000) are in the affected area. Muddy runoff colors the Gulf of Martaban turquoise.”
From the AFP:
Around 5,000 square kilometres (1,930 square miles) remain underwater, and more than a million homeless need emergency relief, a UN spokesman said.
“The bottle-neck (in aid) is getting it out in the delta. That needs boats, helicopters, trucks,” said Richard Horsey, a Bangkok-based spokesman with the UN’s Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs…
Food prices in Myanmar, already one of the most impoverished nations in the world, have soared. A bag of rice now costs 40,000 kyats (35 dollars) in the commercial hub Yangon, up from 25,000 last week.
Frustrated aid agencies said they are still being denied permission to enter Myanmar and use their experience and expertise to ensure the right aid gets to the neediest places as soon as possible.”
-Virginia Simmons
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May 8, 2008 at 11:14 am
Wow. Really frightening imagery, truly captures the devastation.
Thanks for keeping us up-to-date Virginia.
May 8, 2008 at 11:41 am
This NYT article quotes French foreign minister, Bernard Kouchner, as saying they could have people and helicopters into the hardest hit areas in half an hour, IF they were allowed in to the country.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/08/world/asia/08myanmar.html
“In Paris, Mr. Kouchner said that the French, British and Indian navies had ships directly opposite the worst-hit areas.
“It would only take half an hour for the French boats and French helicopters to reach the disaster area, and I imagine it’s the same story for our British friends,” he said. “We are putting constant pressure on the Burmese authorities, but we haven’t yet got the go-ahead.” “
May 8, 2008 at 4:02 pm
Aid to Burma is truly urgent & I am making a donation today to help with relief. But, even as we do that, let’s keep in mind the need to overhaul the US foreign aid system. Clinton, Obama and McCain should back a Department of Global Development to fix our broken aid system. That’s what religious leaders in Indiana and Pennsylvania recently asked the candidates to do. See:
http://www.globalaidsalliance.org/newsroom/press_releases/press_050208/
May 8, 2008 at 5:20 pm
The us government has ships loaded with supplies on those coasts also but Myanmar will not let them come in to help. In my eyes that is the burma/myanmar goverment cares nothing for its people!
I mean all these countries wanting to help nad they won’t let them in. Explain that to the motehr that is watching her kids starve!
May 8, 2008 at 8:48 pm
Good to see David Bryden and the GAA here in the ONE Blog. Please continue to share with us your unique perspectives on issues of world importance and common interest.
ONE HEART, ONE HOPE, ONE LOVE – debbie
http://www.mpwn-uganda.org
PS:
Has there been any word on the safety of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi who is currently under house arrest in her home near Yangoon?