Friday, May 09, 2008

How You Can Help In Myanmar

A couple of regular readers of extrawack! who know what my day job is, have sent me notes asking how they can help somehow with the cyclone tragedy in Myanmar. My best suggestion is to donate to Oxfam America's Myanmar Cyclone Relief and Rehabilitation Fund.

From Oxfam's website:

Oxfam International is now assessing the situation. We have committed $800,000 to an initial response and together with our affiliate organizations we have a team on standby. Like all international aid groups, we are facing tight government restrictions while working to meet the needs of thousands of very poor people affected by the cyclone.

An estimated 24 million people—nearly half the country’s total population—live in areas struck by the disaster. When Cyclone Nargis slammed into the Irrawaddy delta it whipped up a massive storm surge reportedly 12 feet high. Reuters is reporting that Nargis is the most devastating cyclone Asia has seen since the 1991 storm that killed 143,000 people in Bangladesh.

“The aid effort faces huge challenges,” said Sarah Ireland, an Oxfam East Asia regional director. “Communications are down in the cyclone-hit areas, roads have been washed away, and getting aid to people will be very difficult. The international community needs to be quick to respond to this crisis and to ensure the needs of those most affected are met.”

Donate here.

Mission Of Burma - "Weatherbox (Live)" mp3

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