On 2 May 2008 tropical cyclone Nargis hit the coast of Myanmar and devastated large parts of the low-lying delta region of the Irrawaddy River. Winds exceeded 190 kilometres per hour as the storm ripped through the Myanmar’s biggest city Yangon (estimated population 6 million) for over than ten hours. Homes were flattened, more sturdy structures damaged, trees uprooted and power lines downed. In rural parts of the country up to 95 per cent of all homes were destroyed.
This is a situation that the country has not dealt with before and the scale of the needs is clearly massive. Casualty figures continue to rise. The data that is currently available to the International Federation suggests that up to 1 million people might have lost their homes.
Tropical cyclone Nargis has devastated large parts of the mid-south of Myanmar. Casualty figures
continue to rise. At the launch of this appeal, latest reports indicate 22,000 people killed, 41,000 people missing and millions affected. It is a huge disaster by any measure.
No one knows how many are now homeless, reports CBS News correspondent Barry Petersen. Estimates range from 90,000 and up. Hundreds of thousands of people are without clean drinking water, said Richard Horsey, a spokesman in Bangkok, Thailand for the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.
The disaster puts the government's credibility on the line, as general anger could build if relief efforts are not accelerated. There was little sign of official efforts to repair the damage in Yangon, but the worst-hit areas were in the countryside, now inaccessible by road because of storm damage.
The cyclone was the greatest recorded natural disaster in Myanmar, also known as Burma, since a storm killed 2,700 people in 1926.
The government had apparently taken few efforts to prepare for the storm, which came bearing down on the country from the Bay of Bengal late Friday. Weather warnings were broadcast on television saying that winds could reach 120-150 mph and tides could rise as much as 12 feet above normal levels.
Stanley: There is a Buddhist saying," Ability to save a life is worth more than anything else."
Do help the victims of the Myanmar disaster. Our good deed is to help support them to survive and help them to help themselves as soon as possible.
In general, we should support the poor, the disabled people, the aged, and those who suffer from natural disasters like a flood, big storm, earthquake, fire or so on. We can support them by sharing food, shelter, clothes, medicine and other necessary things.
This is a way of doing merit in Buddhism, and in return, we receive a great deal of merit.
Do Follow your heart, have compassion and donate now for Myanmar Relief.
Click on the link below and you will be link to banner of networkforgood.org website , click on the badge to donate. Do procced to donate from your heart .
Thanks to all and may Buddha bless us all.
http://www.networkforgood.org/pca/Badge.aspx?BadgeId=111613
From Stanley
http://thailand-charms-amulets.blogspot.com/