Burma: Not only but also...
Via The Globe and Mail, very bad news for 50 million people who have already had half a century of bad news: Already stricken Myanmar braces for new storm on Friday. Excerpt:
International relief agencies racing against the clock to bring food, medicine and supplies to thousands of Myanmar cyclone victims say a fresh storm headed toward the stricken region could further hamper aid efforts.
The smaller tempest was expected to hit the stricken Irrawaddy delta region early Friday, bringing more rain to the sodden disaster area, where thousands are homeless, missing and threatened by hunger and disease.
“If the second strong storm does hit them, it is the worst possible scenario imagined,” Joe Lowry, a spokesman for the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent, told a news conference in Bangkok Thursday.
“It will affect more people. It will bring more water to it, an area that is already saturated. It won't run off quickly. There is potential of outbreak of disease,” said Mr. Lowry, who recently returned from Rangoon, Myanmar's largest city.
More rain would make transportation of relief supplies by road, foot and boat more difficult, Mr. Lowry said, prompting survivors to pick up and move again to more distant dry areas.
Some Americans, well-meaning but slow-learning, are suggesting the US invade Burma to save its people. Josh Marshall at Talking Points Memo has a thoughtful response to that idea:
Why don't we not invade any more countries for a while?
Invading, no. But ignoring the junta and ferrying food and water purifier to the afflicted areas via helicopter shuttle and air drop under air cover should be possible. There are a few hundred thousand people at risk.
Posted by: slovenia | May 16, 2008 at 02:56 AM
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/may/18/cyclonenargis.burma
Gordon Brown is the only world leader I know of who has publicly suggested the possibility of air drops. Something, other than handwringing, needs to be done and soon.
Posted by: slovenia | May 18, 2008 at 09:29 AM
Below is a link to an excellent comment piece by Simon Jenkins in The Guardian concerning the need to get aid into Burma to save the lives of the survivors of cyclone Nargis.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2008/may/21/naturaldisasters.cyclonenargis
Posted by: slovenia | May 22, 2008 at 04:00 AM