May 08 2008
MYANMAR UPDATE
Tom Konvicka
I'm going to hold off on my series on climate change and tornadoes while I bring you the latest on an incredible disaster in Myanmar. Although the "official" death toll from Cyclone Nargis stands at 22,500, local officials admit that 80,000 deaths may occur in just the Labutta district. This has prompted one top U.S. diplomat to the death toll will easily top 100,000. This doesn't count those who will die because of the incompetence and indifference of the nation's government. The first major U.N. relief flight has landed but the supplies are doomed since they will only trickle to those who need them the most. In fact, when we count the dead from Cyclone Nardis and the indirect fatalities from governmental blunders, the final death toll may well reach 250,000 to 500,000! A similar historical precedent occurred in the Great Bhola Cyclone in 1970 that killed 550,000 people in what was then called East Pakistan (now Bangladesh).
Here is a short letter written to Chris Burt, an author with much insight into the situation in Myanmar, from a friend in the capital city of Yangon:
"Help received within the country is insufficient and inefficient. We need so much of outside professional, efficient help. NOT in three days. SHOULD be in three hours. We cannot risk anymore life. The death toll is shockingly too high and it is increasing minute by minute."
NASA's Terre satellite captured the floodwaters. Here is a link to that image:
http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/natural_hazards_v2.php3?img_id=14813
I'll get back on track tomorrow with my series.
Best,
Tom Konvicka
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