On Friday night, a massive cyclone (hurricane grouping)
hit Burma. It is estimated that between 4,000 and
10,000 people have been killed. Hundreds of thousands
are without water and food prices have skyrocketed.
We believe that hundreds of thousands are without
shelter and many more homes lost their roofs. Tens
of thousands of people are missing.
Worst, the military regime did practically nothing
to warn the Burmese people of the cyclone, and 48
hours after the "hit" the regime has still
not asked for any international aid. The Burmese
people are in deep trouble and very, very angry.
This behavior is fully consistent with the military
regime's denial of access for aid agencies to help
victims of the military regime's war on civilians
in eastern Burma.
We are using all of our tools and contacts to organize
an urgent call for the U.S. government -- which
has very generously donated to help the millions
of refugees that have fled Burma's military regime
over the past 10 years -- to step forward and provide
major, emergency assistance. It is critical that
this assistance goes to the victims of the cyclone
and not the notoriously corrupt military regime,
which will siphon off funds and support for itself.
We will let you know about the U.S. response.
As of right now our Missions and Missionaries have
not been affected as we minister and bring relief
on the Eastern Region of Burma and the cyclone hit
the southwestern area of the country.
In the meantime, we are setting up a mechanism so
that you can help if you want to make direct donations
to the victims of the cyclone. Stay tuned for more
on that.
An eyewitness that passed through Day Da Ye Township
in Irrawaddy Division told Mizzima News that deaths
due to the cyclone in Day Da Ye Township may increase
dramatically, reporting many corpses laying along
the highway.
He saw firsthand the bodies of humans and animals
along the road that passes through Day Da Ye while
on his way to Rangoon.
Day Da Ye, about 40 miles southwest of Rangoon,
is in Irrawaddy Division. Both Irrawaddy and Rangoon
Divisions are among the declared disaster areas,
along with Bago Division and Mon and Karen States.
"It could be up to a hundred bodies,"
reported the eyewitness, though he could not provide
an exact figure.
Current government announced figures do not mention
any deaths and damage in Day Da Ye Township.
Since there are no telephone lines working in the
entire Irrawaddy Division, Mizzima has been forced
to rely on the accounts of travelers passing through
the region.
In Da La Township of Rangoon Division, almost all
houses throughout the township suffered damage.
Moreover, the residents are facing a severe shortage
of drinking water.
About 90 percent of small boats, the only means
of transport between Rangoon city and Da La have
been destroyed by the cyclone.
At least 3,928 people were killed when Cyclone
Nargis lashed Burma on Friday and Saturday, according
to the latest government figures. On Hine Gyi Island
alone, worst affected, 109 perished. Nargis has
destroyed at least 20,000 homes and left more than
90,000 people homeless across Burma.
However, with the Burmese junta's tradition of
secrecy and control over the media, observers said
the death toll could be higher than the government
admits.
A Mizzima correspondent in Rangoon said that top
government leaders used helicopters to visit Maw
La Myaing Kyun in Irrawaddy Division, showing that
Maw La Myaing Kyun must be one of the worst affected
areas.
Moreover, he added that one warship from Burma's
navy that was docked in the entrance to the Rangoon
Sea was sunk, along with one big fishing boat which
sank near Kyi Myint Taing harbor in Rangoon.
Rangoon residents are trying to carry water with
trucks and heavy vehicles from Inya and Kandawgyi
Lakes due to the severe shortage of water publicly
available.
In and around Anaw Ya Htar Road in downtown Rangoon,
a long queue of people are lining up for drinking
water distributed by the Municipal Department, according
to a Mizzima correspondent in Rangoon.
The government has re-opened gas stations in Rangoon
and the fuel shortage problem has lessened.
However, long queues of vehicles up to two miles
long waiting for petrol can be seen in Rangoon.
Gasoline and diesel prices on the black market have
reached 12,000 kyat ($10.90) and 15,000 kyat ($13.60),
respectively, from 7,000 kyat and 8,000 kyat yesterday
morning.
The government has announced that petrol shops
will be opened till 10 p.m. Some of the main roads
in the city have reopened for traffic and the city
is noisy from extensive generator use.
In New Dagon, a satellite township of Rangoon,
tidewater is causing trees and houses to collapse.
Inya Road, near where Burmese democracy leader
Aung San Suu Kyi lives under house arrest, remains
blocked with fallen trees.
However, Mizzima has not been able to confirm whether
the house of Aung San Suu Kyi was damaged in the
cyclone or not.
Residents in outlying regions of Rangoon are especially
worried that the poor situation could lead to widespread
looting.
Suffering from a water shortage, some people are
trying to take water by blowing up the main water
supply pipe, known as Gyo Pyu, in Yan Kin and South
Okkalapa Townships. In Tharkayta Township, a suburb
of Rangoon, residents are trying to obtain water
from fire hoses, which is prohibited under Burmese
law.
Rangoon General Hospital has refused admission
to some patients due to an electricity shortage.
The hospital is relying on generators.
Essential food prices are continuing to rise today,
with an egg costing 400 kyat (0.36 cents), up from
300 kyat yesterday.
In the meantime, the price of zinc roofing has
jumped 500 percent, with one foot of the material
now costing 3,000 kyat, compared with a price of
600 kyat before the cyclone hit Rangoon.
Please be in serious prayer for our Burmese brothers
and sisters.
Love
Pas Joe
