Up to 100,000 may be dead in Burma

[Lemmy]

YANGON, Myanmar - Bodies floated in flood waters and survivors tried to reach dry ground on boats using blankets as sails, while the top U.S. diplomat in Myanmar said Wednesday that up to 100,000 people may have died in the devastating cyclone.

Hungry crowds stormed the few shops that opened in the country's stricken Irrawaddy delta, sparking fist fights, according to Paul Risley, a spokesman for the U.N. World Food Program in neighboring Thailand.

Shari Villarosa, who heads the U.S. Embassy in Myanmar, said food and water are running short in the delta area and called the situation there "increasingly horrendous."

"There is a very real risk of disease outbreaks as long as this continues," Villarosa told reporters.

State media in Myanmar, also known as Burma, reported that nearly 23,000 people died when Cyclone Nargis blasted the country's western coast on Saturday and more than 42,000 others were missing.

U.N. humanitarian chief John Holmes said Thursday that the cyclone's death toll may rise "very significantly."

The military junta normally restricts the access of foreign officials and organizations to the country, and aid groups were struggling to deliver relief goods.

US diplomat: 100,000 may have died in Myanmar cyclone - Yahoo! News

[jec1]

Just terrible, that is a horrible number....

[Lemmy]

Unfortunately there might be even more people dead because of disease and starvation as a result of the typhoon

[Lemmy]

YANGON, Myanmar - The U.N.'s World Food Program says one of its planes has landed in Myanmar as part of the first major international airlift of aid to cyclone victims.

A U.N. official says one plane from Italy arrived in Myanmar, and three more will land later Thursday.

She said the planes will bring key relief items including high-energy biscuits and medical kits. The official requested anonymity because she was not authorized to speak to the media.

The planes had waited on the tarmac for the last two days to get the junta's clearance to bring in relief supplies to the devastated Southeast Asian country.

First UN relief flight lands in Myanmar after 2 day delay - Yahoo! News

[Jager]

If you know that area, this is an on going problem throughout hundred of years. If I'm not mistaken, the country is below sea level for the most part or below it, so when one "blows" in, it just floods everything.

So in a nutshell, I can't see them doing anything to ever solve the problem in their current state. They have a military dictatorship and no money.