=====
THE AFTERMATH
Myanmar's worsening crisis
As international relief workers struggle to provide assistance to
survivors
in the immediate aftermath of cyclone Nargis, five major crises in the
Irrawaddy delta threaten to multiply the already devastating human toll in
the coming weeks and months, Matthew Trevisan finds
MATTHEW TREVISAN
May 8, 2008
1. FOOD
The low-lying areas of the Irrawaddy delta provided Myanmar with the
majority of its rice supply. But the cyclone wiped out the region's entire
crop, and that damage will have profound implications for the country's
food
supply in the immediate and distant future.
"To have the next crop, they will need seedlings, which they don't have
because the crop is gone," said Ramesh Shrestha, Unicef representative in
Myanmar.
There will be continual food shortages for millions of people, the
majority
of whom are poor farmers. And the salt water from the Bay of Bengal that's
flooding the area will damage the land's fertility, until the salt water
can
be pumped out. The food shortage will likely cause already inflated food
prices to surge higher because of the increased demand for food.
Print Edition - Section Front
Section A Front Enlarge Image
More World Stories
* Opposition supporters slain by Mugabe militia
* Abdelrazik sues Ottawa to bring him home
* Desperate survivors fight for food
* Myanmar's worsening crisis
* BARRELLING AHEAD
* Interpol on global hunt for accused pedophile
* Go to the World section
The Globe and Mail
2. WATER AND SANITATION
It's only a matter of time - days, weeks - before the affected region sees
its first outbreak of water-borne diseases such as dysentery, cholera and
severe diarrhea.
Water in the region moves either through a piped network or through hand
pumps, but many of the wells are overflowing with contaminated surface
water
from sewers and septic tanks.
"If we don't get access to these areas now, the scope of the disaster will
increase by two- or three-folds by what we've seen today," said Gregory
Beck, the International Rescue Committee's regional director of Asia.
As the weather becomes more humid, malaria and dengue fever may fester in
the pools of water. And the longer victims go without proper medical
treatment and clean water, the more vulnerable their immune systems will
be.
3. SHELTER
According to UN officials and Western diplomats, 1.5 million people were
left homeless by the disaster. A tidal wave wiped out half the houses in
low-lying villages and, as survivors rushed to higher ground, family
members
separated from each other in the chaos.
And the International Red Cross said yesterday it will provide emergency
shelter and aid to thousands of prisoners in Myanmar after their places of
detention were damaged by the cyclone, AFP reported.
Mr. Shrestha said survivors have tried to take shelter in monasteries and
schools still standing on higher ground, but with the rainy season just
about to start, the region is still susceptible to extreme weather
conditions. "We still need to prepare for what may come along the way," he
said. "It's not over yet."
Relief organizations will be providing tents, tarpaulins and zinc sheets
to
survivors for shelter.
4. INFRASTRUCTURE
Survivors have overwhelmed the hospitals that are still standing. Schools
have been destroyed. There is a severe shortage of fuel. Twenty-four
million
people are without electricity and running water, according to UN
officials
and Western diplomats. And most of the region's roads are still submerged.
The Associated Press reported yesterday that some aid workers said heavily
flooded areas were accessible only by boat, with helicopters unable to
find
dry spots for landing relief supplies.
"The scale and scope of this disaster is still not fully understood by the
communities in Myanmar or the international community," Mr. Beck said.
"So,
as the days go by, I think we're going to be shocked by the impact."
5. POLITICAL CLIMATE
Myanmar's military regime has delayed foreign aid workers' visas and has
been reluctant to allow international agencies to operate freely. Millions
of starving people in desperate need of help will be caught in the
ideological divide between Myanmar and the international community.
"There hasn't been a free and open dialogue on how to reconcile the
difference so that 50 million people don't get caught in this
political-ideological difference between [Myanmar] and the global
environment," Mr. Shrestha said.
Myanmar's military regime plans to go ahead with a constitutional
referendum
on Saturday, despite the catastrophic damage inflicted upon one of the
country's most densely populated regions, AFP reported. The voting will
take
place two weeks later in the 47 townships hardest-hit by the cyclone,
state
television announced.
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/LAC.20080508.MYANMARAFTERMATH08/TPStory/TPInternational/Asia/
=====
|
