Thoughts after a recent trip to Myanmar.
When Cyclone Nargis hit the southern most end of the Irriwaddy Delta in Myanmar, on May 2nd most of us were fast asleep. Some may have heard news of that a cyclone was bering down on the country from the Andaman sea. Just another bit of weather news in a far flung part of world.
The village headman whom I was talking to had seen nine months earlier the wall of water coming. At 6 am a tidal swell of dark water, trees, flotsam, animal and human bodies , some alive and others dead varying in reported height of up to six meters scoured clear the low lying island shredding palm trees into sticks, erasing villages and polluting the fresh water. All around the wind howling at speeds of 200 kph. The only escape was either by climbing up a sturdy tree, turning quickly to any high ground or grabbing anything that could float and ride it out. In one village alone that I visited, out of 1,000 residents, only 7 survived. Cyclone Nargis was literally hell of earth. Approximately 140,000 deaths and thousand still missing.
Nargis had been a difficult operation with government officials slow to respond to the international aid effort. In truth, the response was more about incompetence than it was heartless neglect of the people. The government, lulled by years of no natural disasters to speak of was completely unprepared for Cyclone Nargis.
Then there was the isolation. To get out to the effected areas on high speed inflatable craft was a 120 kilometer round trip in which you left in the early morning dark and and arrived back after dark. This area is the very definition of remoteness.
TEAR Fund was in a very positive position to help, as we had our partner in Myanmar that we could directly work through. Through them we also had a network of churches, schools and even monasteries who could help deliver needed aid and provide manpower in the early difficult phase that included makeshift shelter, delivery of fresh water, food and comfort and even the heartbreaking and difficult task of body collection.
As soon as we had received details of the extent of the crisis we immediately launched an appeal that our donors generously supported and was topped up with a NZAID government grant.
Nine months, later standing in Aima village at the very mouth of the Irriwaddy Delta, with 40c temperatures I found life retuning back to something resembling normal. Rows of newly built housing we had helped supply were now in place as were fresh water supplies. Fishermen had been re-equipped and were casting their new nets or pots, bringing in catches of perch, prawns and crab. With the loss of almost all the draught animals used for the rice paddies we had mobilized temporary motorized ploughs to help drain and prepare the paddies for planting. The much feared rice faminepredicted had been adverted.
We also managed to help get schools back up and running and with local and specialist support, work through some of the grief and trauma felt by many, but most keenly by the kids.
Now the emergency requirements have been addressed we are entering phase two. This next phase will strengthen the economy through microenterprise, as well as agriculture and fishing development. There are still more houses being built and there is a need to continue to gain greater access to fresh water. Plans are being drawn up for high ground cyclone shelters.
Looking over the Aima landscape I was humbled and proud to be part of this TEAR Fund partner team of Burmese staff, New Zealand supporters and the resilient and resourceful people of the Irriwaddy. I was confident and hopeful that these people had more than a catastrophe to look back on, but a real future to build towards.
Behold I make all things new!
Rev 21:5
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