Friends,
I want to share our current perceptions re the situation in
Myanmar/Burma in the aftermath of cyclone Nargis. I had the opportunity
today (Friday, May 9th) to participate in a working situation with several
dozen disaster response organizations, including the UN, US-AID, and the
major NGO’s such as CARE, SaveTheChildren, and others, gathered under the
auspices of InterAction, an organization of which Hands On Disaster Response
is a full member.
Physically, the storm was similar to cyclone Sidr that hit Bangladesh,
but while Bangladesh had implemented both a warning system and cyclone
shelters, contributing to a reduced death toll of about 4,000, Nargis will
have taken a much larger toll. Government official estimates as of today
were still in the range of 22,000; estimates from organizations represented
within the country range from 63,000 to well over 100,000; this would put
the loss of life in a similar category with the tsunami.
(more…)