Monday, May 05, 2008

Prayers for the Burmese people

[I've created a separate post, dedicated to listing relief agencies who are struggling to cope with the aftermath of this mind-blowing disaster.] The death toll from Cyclone Nargis (the first of this year's North Indian Ocean Cyclone Season), according to this Sky News story, could be 10,000 in one town alone! And for a people already suffering under one of the world's worst regimes ...

India is rushing aid. (Until 1937, Burma was politically a part of British India. Geo-political reasons too. Competing with China to access untapped resources etc. etc. Who cares if the junta in power is brutal?)

CNA: Relief agencies request "urgent" access to Myanmar after cyclone hits.

Caritas press release on Cyclone Nargis.

Gospel For Asia: reports from the ground in Yangon (Rangoon).

World Vision is accepting donations.

:: UPDATES ::

(5/6/2008, 11:11 am)
The Holy Father sends his condolences. (Asia News)

Myanmar Relief
is a blog that has news updates from the region and links to relief agencies that are helping out.

The death-toll is now over 22,000. (This Guardian news blog has regular news updates)

(5/6/2008, 4:15 pm)
Spero News reports on the ongoing headaches for international organizations trying to bring relief, and the vacillation of the junta in aiding them.

Americares is another humantiarian relief organization soliciting donations. From an email I got from Americares: "AmeriCares has assembled life-saving medical and other humanitarian supplies at their Stamford, CT and Amsterdam warehouses to be shipped immediately to their partners on the ground in Myanmar. AmeriCares staff are also en route to the region."

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