Cyclone hits Burma/Myanmar
May 5th, 2008, 09:59 AM
#3
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Yesterday they were reporting a few hundred deaths - look at the report today http://uk.news.yahoo.com/rtrs/200805...e-04b64de.html
Myanmar is certainly having a very difficult year.
Myanmar is certainly having a very difficult year.
May 5th, 2008, 04:35 PM
#7
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Sadly, you underestimate the junta in Myanmar if you think 'surely they will have to allow foreign aid'!
Hopefully, they will - although I don't know how far the grand sum offered by the USA - $250.000.00 - will go.
Hopefully, they will - although I don't know how far the grand sum offered by the USA - $250.000.00 - will go.
May 5th, 2008, 09:27 PM
#8
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The Myanmar government is openly asking for assistance so I don't understand why most of you think that they will not ask? Today a lot of the ASEAN countries have started airlifting medicine, food and other aides to Myanmar.
degas,
The op made reference to Katrina and from what I remembered is that the rescue or relief efforts by the responsible agency was royally screwed up. I think the world has learned from the mistakes with FEMA and Katrina so I hope that is the case with this current event and so far it seems that the Myanmar government are doing all the right thing.
degas,
The op made reference to Katrina and from what I remembered is that the rescue or relief efforts by the responsible agency was royally screwed up. I think the world has learned from the mistakes with FEMA and Katrina so I hope that is the case with this current event and so far it seems that the Myanmar government are doing all the right thing.
May 6th, 2008, 06:37 AM
#9
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Hanuman, when I posted, the government was not yet asking for assistance. I am reassured now that they are. As you know, this government has not been known for its empathy with its own people.
I'll have to do some research on which NGO to give to for this.
I'll have to do some research on which NGO to give to for this.
May 6th, 2008, 07:03 AM
#10
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Here are some of the ways you can help:
• International Committee of the Red Cross
• World Food Programme
• Save the Children
• World Vision
• UNICEF
• International Rescue Committee
http://www.cnn.com/SPECIALS/2007/impact/
• International Committee of the Red Cross
• World Food Programme
• Save the Children
• World Vision
• UNICEF
• International Rescue Committee
http://www.cnn.com/SPECIALS/2007/impact/
May 6th, 2008, 07:58 AM
#11
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Thanks, degas, for this list. I wanted to check and see if one of my favorite relief groups, the Mercy Corps, was working in Burma. Indeed they are, so another option is www.mercycorps.org
May 6th, 2008, 08:03 AM
#12
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Kathie,
I can't help but make comparison to the Katrina disaster and I find it interesting that the US initially refused foreign help as well, from France notably, for several days after Katrina hit. It was only after several days of suffering for the unlucky people before the US allowed French aid.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_...ricane_Katrina
I'm also happy to hear the the junta have open up the door to foreign aids and I really hope that there will be some independent aid distribution supervision so that it will get to the right people. I'm not sure how much autonomy the organizations, on the CNN list that degas posted, will have in aid distribution.
I can't help but make comparison to the Katrina disaster and I find it interesting that the US initially refused foreign help as well, from France notably, for several days after Katrina hit. It was only after several days of suffering for the unlucky people before the US allowed French aid.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_...ricane_Katrina
I'm also happy to hear the the junta have open up the door to foreign aids and I really hope that there will be some independent aid distribution supervision so that it will get to the right people. I'm not sure how much autonomy the organizations, on the CNN list that degas posted, will have in aid distribution.
May 6th, 2008, 08:17 AM
#13
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Katrina disaster was caused by a variety of factors to include having a major city located below sea-level, and slow response/bad choices by local, state and federal government departments. I doubt the Government in Myanmar will be anymore responsive. I hear the monks are taking an active role in the relief effort.
May 6th, 2008, 08:22 AM
#14
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I am sorry for the Myanmar people and my heart goes out to them. Death and destruction and cleanup after a Cyclone or huricanne is a heart breaking night mare.
I have lived on the US Gulf Coast all my life, living through many storms includung Katrina and Rita. I have seen what these stroms can do.
But Hanuman- I must say this...
Katrina was awful, but the actions of the LA Governor and the New Orleans Mayor, who were the very people responsible to act, made the problems many times worst-if you will recall they did nothing to get the people out of harms way (shool buses all lined up and flooded in the New Orleans Bus Barn).
Then they did nothing while they had a turf war with the federal government before they would allow that help in the state. Do you remember the pictures of the Governor ringing her hands right after the storm hit, but she would not let the army in to start getting people out of NO for 48 hours of so.
There was a vast difference in the lead up to storms and clean up processes after the storms: in Miss, where the absolute destruction after Katrina was much worse; in Fla, where three stroms hit in one year and number of years ago when a storm wiped out the Homestead area; and in Tx, where Rita hit right after Katrina. Though the mass panic whipped up by the media was something to behold!
In the US, cleanup is a combined effort of the local, state and federal governmet with the local and state calling the shots in the first days.
I hope the Myanmar government will allow all the help offered into their country and as soon as possible. That is the key to getting started on the road to recovery
It takes many man hours of work from all sources- government, volunteers and locals to put things back together, plus, of course, lots of $$$$.
I have lived on the US Gulf Coast all my life, living through many storms includung Katrina and Rita. I have seen what these stroms can do.
But Hanuman- I must say this...
Katrina was awful, but the actions of the LA Governor and the New Orleans Mayor, who were the very people responsible to act, made the problems many times worst-if you will recall they did nothing to get the people out of harms way (shool buses all lined up and flooded in the New Orleans Bus Barn).
Then they did nothing while they had a turf war with the federal government before they would allow that help in the state. Do you remember the pictures of the Governor ringing her hands right after the storm hit, but she would not let the army in to start getting people out of NO for 48 hours of so.
There was a vast difference in the lead up to storms and clean up processes after the storms: in Miss, where the absolute destruction after Katrina was much worse; in Fla, where three stroms hit in one year and number of years ago when a storm wiped out the Homestead area; and in Tx, where Rita hit right after Katrina. Though the mass panic whipped up by the media was something to behold!
In the US, cleanup is a combined effort of the local, state and federal governmet with the local and state calling the shots in the first days.
I hope the Myanmar government will allow all the help offered into their country and as soon as possible. That is the key to getting started on the road to recovery
It takes many man hours of work from all sources- government, volunteers and locals to put things back together, plus, of course, lots of $$$$.
May 6th, 2008, 08:44 AM
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The aid issue between the US government and the French governmet in NO way affected the aid recovery efforts going on after Katrine.
There was plenty of help as soon as the local officals allowed the help in.
I do think most US citzens were touched that others would offer us aid and I know some was used. But here is no comparison in the two events.
degas stated it very well.
There was plenty of help as soon as the local officals allowed the help in.
I do think most US citzens were touched that others would offer us aid and I know some was used. But here is no comparison in the two events.
degas stated it very well.
May 6th, 2008, 09:06 AM
#16
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Hanuman, I understand and don't object to your comparison with Katrina. I hope the whole world learned from the many mistakes with Katrina.
I'm glad the NGOs are already going into Burma to help.
I'm glad the NGOs are already going into Burma to help.
May 6th, 2008, 09:12 AM
#17
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cwn, are you sure most US citizens welcomed French help? I'm pretty sure, at the time, that we were in the middle of the Bush-sanctioned French Fry boycott. It was the age of the Freedom Fry then <sigh>.
Hopefully, Burma will open as many doors as possible for aid. It'll be interesting to see how this plays out, given only a few short months ago, when, during the protests, they didn't want ANY unfamiliar eyes anywhere near their country.
Hopefully, Burma will open as many doors as possible for aid. It'll be interesting to see how this plays out, given only a few short months ago, when, during the protests, they didn't want ANY unfamiliar eyes anywhere near their country.
May 6th, 2008, 09:22 AM
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Anyone really interested in Katrina should read David Brinkley's book, "The Great Deluge". I took it as a report that the people of the Gulf Coast were abandoned by local, state and federal governments.
I hope that Myanmar does not suffer that gross inefficiency.
I hope that Myanmar does not suffer that gross inefficiency.
May 6th, 2008, 09:27 AM
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cwn,
A lot of countries helped or tried to help after Katrina hit.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interna...from_Countries
My point is that I hope the Myanmar government would have learned something from past disasters. The junta should accept help from both enemies and friends because the people are suffering. degas made a good point about the monks and perhaps that is one place people should try and donate to. After the Tsunami, several Wats in Thailand were inundated with refugees and dead bodies and they didn't have much outside help.
A lot of countries helped or tried to help after Katrina hit.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interna...from_Countries
My point is that I hope the Myanmar government would have learned something from past disasters. The junta should accept help from both enemies and friends because the people are suffering. degas made a good point about the monks and perhaps that is one place people should try and donate to. After the Tsunami, several Wats in Thailand were inundated with refugees and dead bodies and they didn't have much outside help.
May 6th, 2008, 11:02 AM
#20
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Hanuman,
I agree with you completely on the Myanmar government learning from past problems in the US and other places around the world and also about looking to the Monks for help in relief efforts. Governments are just not the best in relief sometimes. There are way too many layers.
For the people's sake and for the sake of getting the aid to where it is really needed, I hope the Myanmar government will listen to the people on the ground with the netweork, if any is already there, to get the aid to the needy quickly..
As far as the Katrina mess, if you did not live in the areas affected by Katrine, you shouldn't believe everything you heard or read about what really happened on the ground after Katrina. To say that "the people of the Gulf Coast were abandoned by local, state and federal governments," is totally "media hype". If you want to say the people of LA were abandoned by their local and state government that is true, but New Orleans keeps electing them, so....
I agree with you completely on the Myanmar government learning from past problems in the US and other places around the world and also about looking to the Monks for help in relief efforts. Governments are just not the best in relief sometimes. There are way too many layers.
For the people's sake and for the sake of getting the aid to where it is really needed, I hope the Myanmar government will listen to the people on the ground with the netweork, if any is already there, to get the aid to the needy quickly..
As far as the Katrina mess, if you did not live in the areas affected by Katrine, you shouldn't believe everything you heard or read about what really happened on the ground after Katrina. To say that "the people of the Gulf Coast were abandoned by local, state and federal governments," is totally "media hype". If you want to say the people of LA were abandoned by their local and state government that is true, but New Orleans keeps electing them, so....
