A Terrible of Burma Cyclone - Case Study Example

Introduction: This is a report on the natural disaster that occurred in Burma in the year 2008. The cyclone ‘Nargis’ occurred in Burma in May 2008 atthe Irrawady delta region of the country, was one of the worst disasters in recent world history, and created more than significant damage to life and property in the impoverished land of Burma.. The death toll rose to millions with vast damage on fields and houses rendering tens of thousands homeless. International aid was rushed in only to be confiscated or refused by the government of Burma. The cyclone also led to epidemic outbreaks such as the Dengue fever, cholera and diarrhea. There have been many incidents reported regarding the struggle of survivors and the lack of government attention on the matter. The lack of food, shelter, medication and capital to begin a new livelihood are the predominant reasons. This report on the cyclone will state scientific data and issues on the occurrence, The extent of damage to life and property , the details of the aid received, the response in terms of aid and statement and intervention of the globe and the Burmese government’s take on the disaster. The report will include valid data regarding the damage to life and the aid sent by the US and the UN countries , reports and news from various renowned papers across the world, and statements of officials, economists, governments , NGO’s and the victims themselves. Section 1 Extent of damage1.1 : In the report “ Seeking justice for Burma” the author professor Michael A. Newton stated : “On 2nd and 3rd May 2008 Tropical cyclone Nargis struck Burma battering the 209 kilometer per hour 130(mph) winds at 3.7 meter 12 foot storm surge. IT devastate most of Southern Burma especially the densely populated Irrawady (Ayyerawady) Delta, and the country’s most populous city Rangoon (Yangoon). The U.N estimated that the death toll from the cyclone could be “in the region of 1, 00,000 or even more” with 220,000 people believed missing. Both figures far surpassed the SPDC’s (State Peace development Council) tally which stands at 84530 dead and 53836 missing.”(Newton 4) The figures given by the professor are right as these were the same figures that were published by the USAID on July 9 2008 in Fact sheet no 24, for the fiscal year 2008. This manipulation or underreporting of numbers by the Government of Burma shows their unwillingness to accept responsibility or take blame for the lack of warning given to the people regarding the cyclone. US Aid 1.2 : The USAID report on July 2009 published the details if Humanitarian aid sent to Burma and this totaled to an amount of $47,245,447 this includes the aids of the Adventist Development Relief Agency, American Red Cross, CWS and planning partner International organization for migration, International Rescue Committee, MENTOR, Medical Emergency Relief International, PACT, Save the Children, OCHA, WHO, UNICEF, World Vision, Save the Children, CARE and all the travel and logistics support provided by the USAID. The above figure of total aid provided to the country had reached the victims the country of Burma would have been a lot different now. Besides, it is overwhelming to see that so many agencies in the world over have been able to muster so much of aid to help victims of the cyclone. Obstructing and abusing human aid1.3: The report on “Seeking justice in Burma” states “The SPDC not only severely restricted international aid but also denied private donors and non-SPDC-affiliated doctors’ access to the disaster areas. Officials even blocked government-affiliated doctors from accessing areas outside of Rangoon for the first eight days after the cyclone.” “Supplies only slowly reached affected areas, if at all. Because the door for supplies was opened reluctantly, slowly, and narrowly, this natural disaster has been turned into a man-made catastrophe.”(Newton 5) Indeed this turned out to be man made catastrophe due to the attitude of the government. Governmental Agenda takes over Humanitarian Agenda 1.4: “The article of the professor stated “In February 2008, the government had announced that it had completed its draft of a new constitution and would hold a referendum in May to be followed by multi-party elections in 2010. The SPDC ordered significant numbers of victims to return to their villages to vote on the referendum even though they were still traumatized and without food, shelter or other aid to help them once they returned.”(Newton 7) This is a government unable to take care or provide for its people and only interested in power the new constitution only an eye wash to make the world believe. This is simply a classic case of human rights denial in the country. Section 2 Scientific details of the storm2.1: The US today’s take on the cyclone was that “Forecasters began tracking the cyclone April 28 as it first headed toward India. As projected, it took a sharp turn eastward, but didnt follow the typical cyclone track in that area leading to Bangladesh or Myanmars mountainous northwest. Instead, it swept into the low-lying Irrawaddy delta in central Myanmar. The result was the worst disaster ever in the impoverished country. It was the first time such an intense storm hit the delta, said Jeff Masters, co-founder and director of meteorology at the San Francisco-based Weather Underground. He called it "one of those once-in-every-500-years kind of things."(Casey US Today 2008) If the cyclone was tracked from April 28 Burma did not take enough measures to secure people from the coastal and low lying areas. Response from the world over2.2: The daily mail published the following on its paper “France even suggested invoking a United Nations "responsibility to protect" clause and delivering aid directly to cyclone-hit areas without waiting for approval from the military in Rangoon.U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice summed up international frustrations when she said: "What remains is for the Burmese government to allow the international community to help its people. It should be a simple matter. It is not a matter of politics. A leaked UN internal document accused Burma of "dragging its feet" in refusing to allow aid workers visas, adding disturbingly there is no indication of when "this will be sorted out.”(William Daily Mail 2008) The international community has expressed outrage on the delay and lack of assistance for the cyclone victims which still had little or no effect on the rulers of Burma. The reluctant Burmese government2.3: “A document from the National Coalition Union of Burma reported this on the Observation: Even after the whole world is cautioning them about the problems surviving cyclone victims are facing, the Burmese generals were too arrogant to acknowledge that they cannot overcome the challenges brought on by Cyclone Nargis. They even went to the extent of ludicrously boasting that the relief phase for the cyclone victims is over and that reconstruction and rehabilitation process had already started.” This Xenophobic attitude of the Burmese generals only has the cyclone victims paying for them. The irony is that the Private and donors world over have to watch this inspite of expressing their willingness to help. A survivors testimony2.4: The below lines are reported in “The Telegraph” that narrate the plight of a survivor in Burma. “Thein Hlaing wasted no time lamenting his familys misfortune when their home and village were wrecked by Cyclone Nargis in May. At least he, his wife and two young children had survived the savage storm that ravaged Burma and killed at least 140,000 people. With his neighbours, the 28-year-old labourer plunged into the nearby swamp to retrieve pieces of corrugated tin and lengths of wood from where the winds had blown them, and set about rebuilding his hut on a scrap of land above the floodwater. But it was not until last week that the first Burmese government official arrived, flanked by uniformed policemen. Joyful at first, Mr Hlaing thought he would get some help at last. Instead, the official shouted at him, ordering him and his family to dismantle their new home or be thrown into jail. The higher ground had been earmarked for a building development, the official said. It was no longer permitted for anyone to live there. Burma is not a country where you argue with anyone in authority and Mr Hlaing knew better than to do so. But inside he was furious.”(MeoTelegraph 2008). The narration only makes one feel that the victim was better dead than survive in Burma. However, Burma is in serious need of international intervention most of all NGO’s for humanitarian grounds. Works Cited: “Junta’ Official Line – Relief phase is over” Burma Cyclone Update 16-27 May 2008 29 March 2009 http://www.burmalibrary.org/docs5/NCGUB_Cyclone_News_2.pdf Casey, Michael. “Is Global warming to be blamed for Burma’s cyclone” US Today 8 May 2008 29 March 2009 http://www.usatoday.com/weather/climate/2008-05-08-cyclone-global-warming_N.htm Meo, Nick. “Burma’s cyclone survivors are left to struggle with their fate” The Telegraph 27 July 2008 29 March 2009 http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/burmamyanmar/2462250/Burmas-cyclone-survivors-are-left-to-struggle-with-their-fate.html Newton A, Michael. “A case of revoking credentials of the SPDC” Seeking justice for Burma (2008) 29 March 2009 http://burmacampaign.org.uk/PDFs/Seeking_Justice_For_Burma.pdf Williams David, “Burma cyclone: Death toll to 1, 00,000 as secretive junta ‘holds up aid efforts” Mail Online 8 May 2008 29 March 2008 http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-564119/Burma-cyclone-Death-toll-set-reach-100-000-secretive-junta-holds-aid-efforts.html Read More