In a very short piece on the Today Show this morning, it was reported that the toll of dead and missing in Myanmar is now up to 60,000. The Kansas City Star published an AP report this morning:
Corpses floated in salty flood waters and witnesses said survivors tried desperately to reach dry ground on boats using blankets as sails. The U.N. said some 1 million people were homeless in the Southeast Asian country, also known as Burma.
“Basically the entire lower delta region is under water,” said Richard Horsey, Bangkok-based spokesman for the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Aid.
“Teams are talking about bodies floating around in the water,” he said. This is “a major, major disaster we’re dealing with.”
This is something that makes even Katrina pale in comparison to the devastation these people will now have to suffer for many years to come. In America, we simply do not understand how good things are here in comparison to most of the world, and especially the developing/third world. Following Katrina we heard more stories about people placing blame, crying racism highlighted by Kanye West’s comment “George Bush hates black people”, and more whining than was appropriate or helpful. Yet there we sat as the richest nation in the world completely able to help ourselves in the midst of such disaster.
This is something to keep your respective political complaints about the economy and how Iraq makes you ill, how George Bush is the coming of Satan, Hillary v. Obama V. McCain, etc. in perspective. Pause to understand that you - that is anyone who can read this or has time to - have it better than most in the world despite all of it.
The people in Myanmar do not have the luxury of complaining. It is unfortunate that the government seems to think business as usual is proper. The people do not, or likely will not have the strength to place blame for their situation. Many will now be forced to live in an enviroment where disease is more common than food and clean water is the most cherished luxury of all.
So far it is a blip on our news radar in between Lindsey Lohan’s sexual escapades and The Spears’ family values expressed in drunkenness and teenage pregnancy.
Pray for Myanmar if that is all you are able to do this morning.
1Lisa
on May 7, 2008 at 3:46 pm:
I have a classmate from Burma (note he refuses to acknowledge Myanmar). He graduates next Thursday, but I think its unknown IF he can get home let alone what he will go home to. What a disaster. I don’t understand how (if reports are true) that the junta would not alert citizens of the nature of the coming storm and then continue to demand humanitarian aide workers apply for visa’s before being allowed to provide help to the 1million homeless people. The country was already lacking in so many basic resources. I agree with you that the nature of the devestation is far beyond anything that we have ever experienced in this country and they do need our prayers at a minimum.
However, please be careful when you make comments like “Following Katrina we heard more ……. more whining than was appropriate or helpful. Yet there we sat as the richest nation in the world completely able to help ourselves in the midst of such disaster.” I think that we need more loud voices making people aware of the lack of response still in the poorest neighborhoods in New Orleans. Almost three years later, there are still thousands of people homeless. Just four months ago, our parish supported a sheet drive so that a sister church could provide something other than garbage bags for their neighbors to sleep on. They are still operating an illegal shelter in their church as there was still no resources available to begin reconstruction in their neighborhood.
You are absolutely correct when you say that we are completely capable of helping ourselves. Too bad we’re so selective on where and how quickly we do apply those resources.
2Drew
on May 7, 2008 at 8:58 pm:
For the whining part the reference was really to the politicians who were placing blame in New Orleans. The residents did basically what they were told.
I wasn’t sure to call it Myanmar or Burma either. Burma it is!