"You can give without loving but you can't love without giving."
Amy Carmichael
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"You can give without loving but you can't love without giving." Amy Carmichael |
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On the 2nd of May, Cyclone Nargis slammed into the Irrawaddy Delta region in Burma's south, bringing with it winds of 190km/hr, torrential rain, and a devastating 3.5m storm surge which swept through the low lying delta region. In the aftermath of the storm, Burma has been left with devastation not seen in the country in living memory. Homes have been flattened, thousands of people killed, and those who remain are in a desperate situation and in need of emergency relief supplies - food, shelter, medicine and clean water.
Imagine how you would feel if you were one of the survivors. Shari Villarosa, charge d'affaires of the U.S. embassy in Burma, said, "The information that we're receiving indicates that there may well be over 100,000 deaths in the delta area." For them the story is over. But the men, women, and children of southern Burma who lost their homes, livelihood, and in many cases, their loved ones, need help now.
Our attempts to go into the disaster area have been frustrated by a regime that has no regard for their own population. They have rejected our visa applications and have denied the large majority of the world's aid organisations full access to the people who suffer. In fact, they appear to be deliberately keeping aid efforts from the victims in order to further weaken the largely Karen and Mon populations the cyclone ravaged. Does this make you mad? Knowing the cyclone was approaching, they didn't even warn the population of the danger. It's unjust, and it makes me angry.
The figures so far are overwhelming, and continue to worsen.
As the world waits for the junta to allow more workers and supplies into the country, the toll on the people of Burma continues to mount. One woman in the town of Bogalay expressed the sense of despair, saying she has nothing left, and that she is totally dependent on the monastery where she is seeking refuge. Sadly her story is repeated all over the region.
One survivor in Labutta said that around 80 per cent of the people in his village were killed, including his family (his wife and two children). Again another woman shared that everyone in her family, including her brothers and sisters and their families, were taken by the devastating storm surge. These stories are just a drop in the ocean of despair across Burma's delta region.
In spite of the regime's blockades, we have partnered with our coworkers in the delta region. Already a truck loaded with supplies including 7 tons of rice and grain along with 100 rolls of plastic to serve as temporary shelter has made the overland trip to Rangoon for distribution. Further supplies are being purchased from within Burma for direct distribution to the people who need it, while we are also arranging the delivery of water purification systems, medical aid, and people to be on the ground as ministers of love and healing.
We are able to get supplies into the Delta area, and coworkers to oversee distribution, but we need funds to keep the artery of relief functioning. It is my hope that you will join with us during this crisis to keep this lifeline of aid alive. Please pray and if you can, please donate now and help the people of Burma today.
Thank you for standing with us to help save the lives of suffering people and demonstrate God's love to the victims of this disaster.
White paper:
The looming health
crisis in Burma
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