More Than 4,000 People Confirmed Dead in Burma Cyclone

Advertising

The magnitude of the disaster which struck Burma is measured today by the fact the country's military regime has appealed to the international community for aid.

This rare event comes on the heels of an announcement that there are 4,000 confirmed dead and thousands more missing, which could lead to an eventual body count of over 10,000.

Rescue parties are yet to reach the more remote areas of the Irrawaddy Delta and planes are reporting that entire villages appear to have disappeared ,wiped out by the storm and resulting sea surges.

In the capital of Yangon, thrashed fishing boats littered the harbour and the streets were paved with he corrugated iron sheets commonly used for roofing. Powerlines and large trees were down in equal numbers and just getting through the streets in search of something to eat is a death defying trip.

Diplomats summoned to a government briefing said the foreign minister had acknowledged that as many as 10,000 could be dead as the reclusive southeast Asian country's ruling military junta issued a rare appeal for international assistance in the face of an escalating humanitarian crisis.

A state of emergency was declared across much of the country following the 10-hour storm that left swathes of destruction in its wake.

The government of neighboring Thailand said Myanmar's leaders had already requested food, medical supplies and construction equipment, CNN reported. The first plane-load of supplies was due to arrive Tuesday, a Thai spokesman said.

United Nations Secretary-General ban Ki-moon said in a statement he was "deeply saddened by the loss of life and the destruction suffered by the people of Myanmar" and pledged to mobilize international aid and assistance as needed.

Relief agencies met at the United Nations' Bangkok headquarters Monday to coordinate their response to the disaster. The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies said it had released 200,000 Swiss Francs (about $190,000) to help with the aftermath.

It's to be noted that in the few times the situation has come up, the generals have always put conditions on foreign aid even as they deny the endemic poverty and precarious living situations of the Irrawaddy's poorest dwellers.

Cyclone Nargis was especially hard on the delta so let's see if the generals allow foreign aid workers into the heartland of the country. It would truly be an unprecedented act of mercy.