Posts Tagged ‘Myanmar’

Posted on February 9, 2009 - by Steve

Myanmar After the Cyclone

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.

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Posted on May 22, 2008 - by Frank

Burma / Myanmar Update – Word from the Field

First hand Report Ayerayawaddy District

We were invited to visit the affected area, an area that we had been to in the past, with a leader who was returning to his native village. He had been visiting his home village with his eleven year old son on the night of the storm.

As the wind and rain increased he had realised that there was going to be a lot of damage so he went from house to house in his community and persuaded people to move from their bamboo and wooden houses into the brick church building, The next morning he went with his son intoYangon for help, travelling by boat, motorbike and foot, arriving cold, wet and exhausted in the evening.

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Posted on May 13, 2008 - by Frank

Auckland Candlelight Vigil for Cyclone Victims

A candlelight vigil for the victims of Cyclone Nargis in Burma/Myanmar is being held at Auckland University on Wednesday, May 14 from 6.00pm-8.00pm.

Organised by students from the Burma Support Group at Auckland University, the candlelight vigil is an opportunity for Aucklanders to come together to show their support for the millions of people affected by the cyclone, which devastated towns and villages in Burma on May 3.
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Posted on May 13, 2008 - by Frank

Burma / Myanmar: TEAR Fund Press Release

TEAR Fund has just dispatched an initial $50,000 to help its partner working on the ground in Myanmar, deliver much needed aid to the desperate Burmese people.

“While the situation regarding restrictions on external workers and aid flows is totally unacceptable, charitable funding given to TEAR Fund is getting through and being used wisely and effectively in this very difficult and almost unprecedented situation, “said TEAR Fund NZ executive director, Stephen Tollestrup. “In fact our partner’s team is working 24/7, in ways I can only describe as heroic.”
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