Cyclone Nargis; News from Inside
Emily Dalton / Kaowao
May 12, 2008
With the estimated death toll now rising above 100,000, and with thousands more missing and feared dead, Kaowao has received some contact from people inside. To date communication is still minimal; although calls may be made within cities, ie Rangoon to Rangoon, Moulmein to Moulmein, wider communication is still heavily reliant on physical transportation of news across the border or occasional use of satellite phones.
Burma's former capital Rangoon was torn apart by Cyclone Nargis, with one local estimating over 90% of trees were flattened in Rangoon and surrounding areas. With little in the way of clean-up organized by Burma's military government, Kaowao has been told the situation is becoming increasingly chaotic. A simple journey that once took an hour two days ago took our reporter six hours; a morning bath is made near-impossible with a communal bathhouse now filled with putrid water; drinking water has doubled in price while the price of eggs has tripled.
Billboards, in recent times plastered with 'Vote Yes' referendum propaganda, lie flattened alongside trees and houses, while monsoonal rains and tidal surges mean roads now run like rivers, with bodies rushing through the torrent next to trees and debris. Rice stores are now filled with rapidly toxifying rice, rendered useless even as stock feed.
For the 1.5 million survivors the outlook is grim. With the Junta creating obstacles for outside aid workers, international aid to the area has been so far kept from the people on the ground. Many countries are now withholding further aid until the initial shipments are distributed and used effectively.
The people’s requests are not major. Having lived under a military dictatorship for too long, these people are strong and resilient; prior to Nargis, 70% of the population of Burma survived on less than $US1 a day, below the international poverty line benchmark. Now tens of thousands are people are surviving on coconuts and filthy water. They need clean drinking water, shelter and basic medicine. They need their fundamental human rights adhered to.
One Kaowao source reported that in Rangoon - Burma's largest city - after one week, only minimal drinking water and electricity had returned. The health of survivors lies in the hands of a dictator known to rely on astrological guidance that has so far seen him spend ten times as much on military as healthcare. With weather conditions poor and set to get worse (heavy and unceasing rains are predicted in the coming weeks), experts are now warning of epidemics in diarrhea, malaria, cholera, and tetanus. Heavy rains may also hinder the weak relief efforts currently under way by locals attempting to help themselves; clearing trees, cleaning streets, rebuilding houses. Even when aid groups are allowed in it may be that heavy rains prevent transportation of much-needed aid to outlying areas.
Each day water supplies become more lethal, as broken pipes allow sewage and toxins to flow freely through bodies of water already heavy with corpses. This is coupled with large areas of stagnant water which, in Burma's tropical conditions, provide the perfect breeding ground for bacteria and mosquitoes. After observing survivors surrounded by contaminated water, one source told Kaowao that many people were quite obviously either prone to suffer from, or already suffering from water-borne illness. "The children and elderly are the worst affected, with so many already ill a disaster like this seems enough to tip them over the edge." He went on to say that clean drinking water was non-existent in outlying areas, and although it could be found inside Rangoon, high prices excluded most people from buying it. Although water purification tablets are ready to be sent, in coastal areas they are useless, as salt-water has flooded drinking water catchments.
Even in the less affected areas, damage is significant. A reporter recently returned from Mon State in Eastern Burma told Kaowao the damage was obvious. "Many rubber trees had fallen; I cannot imagine the impact this will have on farmers who rely on rubber for their livelihood. Based on my observations I would say every garden had sustained damage, with 50%-100% of trees down." He added that high winds and heavy rained continued yesterday.
|
Billboards, in recent times plastered with 'Vote Yes' referendum propaganda, lie flattened alongside trees and houses, while monsoonal rains and tidal surges mean roads now run like rivers, with bodies rushing through the torrent next to trees and debris. Rice stores are now filled with rapidly toxifying rice, rendered useless even as stock feed.
For the 1.5 million survivors the outlook is grim. With the Junta creating obstacles for outside aid workers, international aid to the area has been so far kept from the people on the ground. Many countries are now withholding further aid until the initial shipments are distributed and used effectively.
The people’s requests are not major. Having lived under a military dictatorship for too long, these people are strong and resilient; prior to Nargis, 70% of the population of Burma survived on less than $US1 a day, below the international poverty line benchmark. Now tens of thousands are people are surviving on coconuts and filthy water. They need clean drinking water, shelter and basic medicine. They need their fundamental human rights adhered to.
One Kaowao source reported that in Rangoon - Burma's largest city - after one week, only minimal drinking water and electricity had returned. The health of survivors lies in the hands of a dictator known to rely on astrological guidance that has so far seen him spend ten times as much on military as healthcare. With weather conditions poor and set to get worse (heavy and unceasing rains are predicted in the coming weeks), experts are now warning of epidemics in diarrhea, malaria, cholera, and tetanus. Heavy rains may also hinder the weak relief efforts currently under way by locals attempting to help themselves; clearing trees, cleaning streets, rebuilding houses. Even when aid groups are allowed in it may be that heavy rains prevent transportation of much-needed aid to outlying areas.
Each day water supplies become more lethal, as broken pipes allow sewage and toxins to flow freely through bodies of water already heavy with corpses. This is coupled with large areas of stagnant water which, in Burma's tropical conditions, provide the perfect breeding ground for bacteria and mosquitoes. After observing survivors surrounded by contaminated water, one source told Kaowao that many people were quite obviously either prone to suffer from, or already suffering from water-borne illness. "The children and elderly are the worst affected, with so many already ill a disaster like this seems enough to tip them over the edge." He went on to say that clean drinking water was non-existent in outlying areas, and although it could be found inside Rangoon, high prices excluded most people from buying it. Although water purification tablets are ready to be sent, in coastal areas they are useless, as salt-water has flooded drinking water catchments.
Even in the less affected areas, damage is significant. A reporter recently returned from Mon State in Eastern Burma told Kaowao the damage was obvious. "Many rubber trees had fallen; I cannot imagine the impact this will have on farmers who rely on rubber for their livelihood. Based on my observations I would say every garden had sustained damage, with 50%-100% of trees down." He added that high winds and heavy rained continued yesterday.
Copyright © 2004 - 2008 Kaowao Newsgroup www.kaowao.org