New storm heads toward Myanmar

Minneapolis StarTribune (aka The Red Star) ^ | 5/14/08 | AP News Story

[MplsSteve]

Another powerful storm headed toward Myanmar's cyclone-devastated delta, where so little aid has reached that the U.N. warned on Wednesday of a "second wave of deaths" among an estimated 2 million survivors.

The U.S. military's Joint Typhoon Warning Center said there is a good chance that "a significant tropical cyclone" will form within the next 24 hours and head across the Irrawaddy delta area.

The area was pulverized by Cyclone Nargis on May 3, leaving at least 34,273 dead and 27,838 missing, according to the government. The U.N. says the death toll could exceed 100,000. An estimated 2 million survivors of the storm are still in need of emergency aid. But U.N. agencies and other groups have been able to reach only 270,000 people so far.

In a sign that Myanmar may allow outside help, Dr. Thawat Sutharacha of Thailand's Public Health Ministry said Wednesday the junta has given permission to a Thai medical team to go to the cyclone-hit delta.

If the team is able to go as scheduled on Friday, it would be the first foreign aid group to work in the ravaged Irrawaddy delta.

Bottlenecks, poor logistics, limited infrastructure and the military government's refusal to allow foreign aid workers have left most of the delta's survivors living in miserable conditions without food or clean water. The government's efforts have been criticized as woefully slow.

[MplsSteve]

What an absolute tragedy this is!

From the article, it certainly sounds like Myanmar's govt is confiscating relief supplies for their own use and giving the refugees sub-standard food.

And the worse part is that Myanmar's leaders are so isolated and immune from intl opinion that they don't really care how many of their own people die or what other countries think of them. Thank God I don't live in a country like that!

Comments or opinions - anyone?

[Holicheese]

“Myanmar’s govt is confiscating relief supplies for their own use and giving the refugees sub-standard food.”

A dictatorship doing this to its own people?? No way!

[massgopguy]

“What’s wrong with Communism?” - Code Pink

[Holicheese]

So true, so very true!

[HankArcher]

I know from earlier news reports that the Red Cross, etc. don’t want to airdrop supplies for fear of fighting over them.

But considering the thugs that run Burma, I see that as a viable way to save people. The UN idiots have plenty of my tax money, let them purchase canned goods, freeze dried stuff, and water purification pills and let the US Air force and others drop massive amounts of supplies.

[Holicheese]

“Would that it were, would that it were!” - John Forbes Kerry

[SMARTY]

I always thought that is what the UN was created for, to stand up for the weak, few and vulnerable...

Where is the lame, worthless, corrupt, brutal dictator- appeasing and anti-America biased UN NOW??????

If the sick, starving, homeless, injured and oppressed victims of this little country are not prime candidates for UN protection and largess, what the hell is the UN good for?

[doxteve]

“But considering the thugs that run Burma, I see that as a viable way to save people. The UN idiots have plenty of my tax money, let them purchase canned goods, freeze dried stuff, and water purification pills and let the US Air force and others drop massive amounts of supplies.”

Yes. Now is the time to use the UN Food For Oil Fund, isn’t it?

[cubreporter]

Always the upper echelon stays safe, protected and comfortable financially while the every day citizen suffers with little or nothing.

[tomkat]

Airdrop a few sniper rifles and trust the indigenous folks/victims to figure it out ?

[bkwells]

Another powerful storm headed toward Myanmar's cyclone-devastated delta...

It's already over land and no further development is anticipated. Besides, it never even made it to Tropical Depression status - "powerful storm" - yeah right.

TPIO10 PGTW 141217 A. TROPICAL DISTURBANCE 96B (WESTERN MYANMAR) B. 14/1130Z C. 17.9N D. 94.5E E. FIVE/FY2D F. N/A G. IR/EIR/VIS/MSI 63/PBO PRLY ORGNZD LLCC. A MID LEVEL CIRC REMAINS, BUT LLCC HAS DSIPTD AND THERE IS NO CNTRL CNVCTN. THIS WILL BE THE FINAL FIX BULLETIN ISSUED BY JTWC ON THIS AREA. THE AREA WILL CONTINUE TO BE MONITORED FOR POSSIBLE REDEVELOPMENT. BRANDON

[Retired Greyhound]

does not look to be a major storm, but any rainfall will be harmful.

[DocRock]

"does not look to be a major storm, but any rainfall will be harmful."

Unless you are thirsty.

[JimSEA]

what the hell is the UN good for?

Sorry but I like answering rhetorical questions. The UN is worth about as much as the spineless neighboring countries (Thailand) whose leaders sit back profiting from the General's drug, gems and logging while the overwhelming majority of their own people despise the Burmese leadership. PM Samak recently spoke admiringly of how the Generals in Burma "control dissent". At least now, they are sending aid and are genuinely horrified by the scale of death in Burma, but what did they expect???