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Cyclone Disaster in Burma

Started by Imperator; Last updated May 14, 08 6:07 PM CDT by SeacoastNH | View history

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Cyclone Disaster in Burma

"The reports that are coming back from some of our partner organizations ... is that there are some communities where the destruction is close to 100 percent." - Simon Horner spokesman for the EU humanitarian office

As the full impact of the crisis becomes known the junta worries about the political beliefs of the aid workers hat want to come help Burma from its biggest disaster in modern history.

Stories

Stories 1 - 20 of 117

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June 2008
- Burma Aid Delays Less Deadly Than Feared
  
  newser | New York Times | Jun 18, 08 5:13 AM CDT
  
  Delays in getting help to cyclone survivors in Burma's Irrawaddy Delta have not caused the catastrophe initially feared, according to aid workers. Hardy villagers have managed to survive on fish and coconuts, helped by aid from private Burmese citizens and monks, reports the New York Times . Expected massive outbreaks of disease have not occurred—but aid workers warn that many are still at risk. More »
- Burmese Comedian Bust Not Funny: UN
  
  newser | Associated Press | Jun 10, 08 5:00 AM CDT
  
  The UN's human rights official in Burma expressed concern over the arrest of a popular Burmese comedian who’d been helping cyclone survivors, the AP reports. The comedian, known as Zarganar, was nabbed Wednesday by authorities after traveling to the hard-hit Irrawaddy Delta to donate supplies, a relative said. He had led an aid group of 400 and had criticized the government in foreign interviews. More »
- Burma Arrests Activist Linked to Cyclone Aid
  
  newser | Reuters | Jun 5, 08 6:58 AM CDT
  
  The Burmese junta has arrested a leading activist who led a private aid program for victims of last month's Cyclone Nargis. Zarganar, a top comedian in Burma who was also arrested during September's protests, was taken away by secret police last night, Reuters reports. The junta continues to block aid to millions of survivors, and today four American warships abandoned efforts to provide aid. More »
- Blocked US Ships Will Abandon Myanmar Aid
  
  newser | Reuters | Jun 4, 08 6:04 AM CDT
  
  US warships laden with aid for Burmese cyclone survivors will sail out of the region tomorrow still carrying their loads, Reuters reports. Burma's military junta has refused 15 requests to allow American forces to deliver aid supplies to the disaster zone, according to the admiral in charge of the operation. More »
May 2008
- Monks Provide Myanmar Relief
  
  newser | New York Times | May 31, 08 10:50 AM CDT
  
  In the wake of Burma’s cyclone, Buddhist monks have become the only source of comfort—both “material” and “spiritual”—for many thousands of homeless and destitute who have been abandoned by the government, the New York Times reports. “Monks are like parents to us. The government wants us to shut up, but monks listen to us,” says one cyclone survivor. More »
- Gates: Junta Aid Delays Killed Thousands
  
  newser | Reuters | May 31, 08 6:21 AM CDT
  
  Tens of thousands of Burmese have died because of their government's refusal to allow in foreign aid after Cyclone Nargis, Defense Secretary Robert Gates said yesterday. Gates accused the military leaders of being "deaf and dumb" to the plight of their people, Reuters reports. American ships in the region have not been allowed to deliver relief supplies to Burma. More »
- Junta Closing Cyclone Shelters
  
  newser | BBC | May 30, 08 12:16 PM CDT
  
  The Burmese junta has reportedly begun closing shelters and telling cyclone victims to return to their decimated villages, a move that drew strong condemnation from a UN official, the BBC reports. Military leaders, apparently worried that the camps will become permanent aid centers, have given victims tents and bamboo poles and told them to rebuild their lives, says a UNICEF official. More »
- Burma Rips 'Chocolate Bar' Aid; US Ships Threaten to Sail
  
  newser | Reuters | May 29, 08 6:50 AM CDT
  
  Burma's military junta ripped international cyclone relief efforts today, slamming demands for access to the disaster zone and proclaiming "The people from Irrawaddy can survive without chocolate bars donated by foreign countries," Reuters reports. The slam comes a day after a US admiral threatened to yank warships from the region if the junta wouldn't let in the aid they carried. More »
- Burma Relief Effort Belies Need
  
  newser | Times (UK) | May 27, 08 4:48 PM CDT
  
  Burma's junta would have one believe it's got the situation under control in the wake of Cyclone Nargis, and even has a test-case diorama as evidence for foreign envoys, the Times of London reports. Sinkan refugee camp hosts 180 well-fed, healthy inhabitants in clean blue tents—while 10 minutes down the road, destitution, sickness and homelessness are everywhere. More »
- Burma Junta: No Freedom for Opposition Leader
  
  newser | Guardian (UK) | May 27, 08 8:13 AM CDT
  
  The Nobel Prize-winning leader of the Burmese opposition will spend another year under house arrest, the country's military government announced today. Hopes that international pressure, along with the national crisis in the wake of Cyclone Nargis, might lead the junta to release Aung San Suu Kyi were dashed by a 10-minute official visit to her Rangoon home this morning. More »
- Burma's Monks Forge Secret Relief Network
  
  newser | Wall Street Journal | May 23, 08 2:11 PM CDT
  
  Although Burma’s junta relented today and allowed in foreign aid workers, weeks of delays and restrictions have led to the formation of an underground network of volunteers led by monks, Internet activists, and pro-democracy students. The Wall Street Journal looks at their efforts, which risk the wrath of the government but often provide the only life-sustaining aid for residents in the hardest-hit regions. More »
- Burma Agrees to Accept All Aid
  
  newser | Bloomberg | May 23, 08 5:34 AM CDT
  
  Burma has agreed to let international disaster relief workers into the country to help with the aftermath of Cyclone Nargis, Bloomberg reports. The junta's about-face came after UN chief Ban Ki-moon, who flew in yesterday, met the nation's reclusive military leader, Senior Gen. Than Shwe. The UN hopes to ramp up operations in the Irrawaddy Delta, where over a million cyclone survivors are thought to be in urgent need of assistance. More »
- Visiting UN Chief Pushes Burma to Accept Aid
  
  newser | Reuters | May 22, 08 7:07 AM CDT
  
  UN chief Ban Ki-Moon witnessed cyclone damage in Burma today, on a trip to bring the devastated country a “message of hope” and push the junta to allow international aid for the millions left destitute, Reuters reports. “I'm quite confident we will be able to overcome this tragedy,” he said. But his work to open the doors to relief looks to be an uphill battle, the New York Times notes. More »
- World Toes Junta's Line as Burmese Die
  
  newser | Guardian (UK) | May 21, 08 2:47 PM CDT
  
  The leaders of the Burmese junta don’t want you to think about the victims of Cyclone Nargis, writes Tom Jenkins for the Guardian , and the world and the media are only too happy to oblige. The Chinese government’s heroics in Asia's other natural disaster focuses attention on victims receiving help, while the Burmese who desperately need outside intervention die off-camera. More »
- World Bank Nixes Loan to Burmese Junta
  
  newser | Daily Telegraph (UK) | May 20, 08 10:54 AM CDT
  
  As Burma looks for loans to cover an estimated for $10 billion worth of damage from Cyclone Nargis, the World Bank won't be among the lenders, the Telegraph reports. The junta has been in debt to the bank for more than a decade, and the bank is legally barred from making another loan, says its managing director. More »
- 'Disaster Fatigue' Shuts US Wallets
  
  newser | Associated Press | May 20, 08 7:00 AM CDT
  
  Americans’ donations to disaster relief this year fall far short of money given to victims of the 2004 tsunami and Hurricane Katrina—and it’s likely due to “disaster fatigue," say experts. With tragedies like Burma’s cyclone and China’s earthquake quickly piling up, people may feel they can’t make a difference, AP reports. As of Friday, Americans had given $12.1 million to Burma, while the tsunami garnered $1.92 billion in US donations. More »
- It's Time to Talk More About Toilets
  
  newser | New York Times | May 19, 08 12:25 PM CDT
  
  Modern squeamishness about discussing human feces can cost lives, Rose George writes in the New York Times . The recent disastrous cyclone in Burma highlights how important waste-containment (read: latrines) is to staving off disease, but if wealthy nations won't deign to discuss No. 2, it's hard for them to organize aid to help poorer countries with sanitation. More »
- Burmese Buy Up Black-Market Cyclone Videos
  
  newser | Associated Press | May 19, 08 8:45 AM CDT
  
  Black-market videos of floating bodies, famished survivors, and cyclone-ravaged villages have become best-sellers in Burma, AP reports. The tapes are illegal because the nation's military junta wants to hide the extent of the devastation. "People buy them because they are interested in seeing what happened out there," said a street vendor who set up his video stall 2 days after the storm. More »
- Burma Relents on Foreign Docs, Aid Workers
  
  newser | BBC | May 19, 08 7:21 AM CDT
  
  Two and a half weeks after cyclone Nargis hit, Burma finally agreed today to allow foreign medics and disaster experts into the battered country, reports the BBC—but only from ASEAN member nations. UN chief Ban Ki-Moon also plans to jet to Burma on Wednesday to bring additional pressure to bear to speed relief to save thousands of children from starving to death. More »
- Junta Leader Visits Nargis Victims as UN Envoy Arrives
  
  newser | CNN | May 18, 08 2:48 PM CDT
  
  The head of Burma's junta emerged today for the first time since cyclone Nargis struck two weeks ago to meet with survivors, CNN reports. Gen. Than Shwe visited a refugee camp 200 miles south of Yangon, touching the faces of infant survivors. The visit came as the UN's humanitarian secretary began a three-day tour meant to pressure Burma to accept more foreign aid, the AP reports. More »

Stories 1 - 20 of 117

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Images (11)
Videos (2)

In this photo released by Democratic Voice of Burma, a tree falls over a car after tropical cyclone Nargis hit Rangoon on Friday May 2, 2008. (AP Photo/ Democratic voice of Burma)

This image provided by NASA shows Cyclone Nargis traveling over Burma Friday, May 2, 2008. (AP Photo/NASA)

In this photo released by China's Xinhua News Agency, an advertisement board is blown down by strong wind in Rangoon as cyclone storm Nargis hits the city Saturday. (AP Photo/Xinhua, Zhang Yunfei)

In this photo released by China's Xinhua News Agency, people walk past fallen trees at a street in Rangoon Saturday. (AP Photo/Xinhua, Zhang Yunfei)

In this handout photo released by the Democratic Voice of Burma, trees are uprooted as part of the roof falls on the ground after tropical cyclone Nargis hit Rangoon. (AP Photo/Democratic Voice of Burma, HO)

In this photo released by Democratic Voice of Burma, giant billboard falls on a street in Yangon on Sunday May 4, 2008. More than 350 people have died in Myanmar from a powerful cyclone that knocked... (AP Photo/ Democratic voice of Burma, HO)

In this photo released by Democratic Voice of Burma, a fallen tree is seen on a street after tropical cyclone Nargis hit Yangon on Sunday May 4,2008. (AP Photo/ Democratic voice of Burma, HO)

An aerial view of devastation caused by the cyclone Nargis on Saturday, is seen at an unknown location in Myanmar, Tuesday, May 6, 2008. (AP Photo)

In this photo released by the Democratic Voice of Burma, a Buddhist monk looks on Tuesday, May 6, 2008, following cyclone Nargis. (AP Photo/Democratic Voice of Burma, HO)

A boy stands at the broken pier following devastating cyclone in Yangon, Wednesday, May 7, 2008. International aid began trickling into military-ruled Myanmar, but much of the Irrawaddy delta, where... (AP Photo)

A dead body is seen in the Pyarmalot river following Cyclone Nargis, in Labutta town, Ayeyarwaddy province, 168 kilometers (105 miles) southwest of Yangon on Sunday May 4, 2008. (AP Photo)

« Prev« Prev | Next »Next » Slideshow

Burma death toll rises to 15,000 (itnnews (YouTube))

Burma Cyclone Footage (fiftyfivenow (YouTube))

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Background

cyclone
Britannica Concise Encyclopedia

Any large system of winds that circulates about a centre of low atmospheric pressure in a counterclockwise direction north of the Equator and in a clockwise direction south of it. Cyclones that occur in the mid- and high latitudes are known as extratropical cyclones; they are frequently preceded ...

» Read more about cyclone at Encyclopedia.com

Myanmar
The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition

Myanmar or Burma , officially Union of Myanmar, republic (2005 est. pop. 42,909,000), 261,789 sq mi (678,033 sq km), SE Asia. It is bounded on the west by Bangladesh, India, and the Bay of Bengal; on the north and northeast by China; on the east by Laos and Thailand; and on the south by the ...

» Read more about Myanmar at Encyclopedia.com

Yangon
The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition

Yangon , formerly Rangoon , city (1983 pop. 2,458,712), capital of Myanmar and of Yangon div., S central Myanmar, on the Yangon River (a mouth of the Ayeyarwady) near its entrance into the Gulf of Martaban. The largest city in Myanmar, Yangon is the transportation hub of the country and its ...

» Read more about Yangon at Encyclopedia.com

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