Bleak Future Awaits the “Lucky” Survivors

Myanmar: Nearly 2 million struggling to survive Nargis aftermath

Thousands of the survivors of Cyclone Nargis face a bleak future, starvation and death, as they abandon what was once their villages in Myanmar’s Irrawaddy delta in search of water, food and medicine.

According to the U.N. humanitarian agency between 1.2 million and 1.9 million are struggling to survive eight days after the storm struck their impoverished country.

Villagers display a sign saying ‘Help Us’ on a road near Kundangon May 11, 2008. Even if they manage to find food and shelter, the 1.5 million destitute survivors of Myanmar’s Cyclone Nargis still face a major risk from infected wounds, chronic diarrhoea and malaria or dengue. (REUTERS/Stringer. Caption: Reuters) Image may be subject to copyright. See FEWW Fair Use Notice.

The death toll could range from 63,290 to 101,682, with 220,000 people reported as missing, the report said, while “acute environmental issues” threaten the health and lives of the survivors. (Source)

Related Links:

• Update #3 – Nargis: Asia’s 2nd most devastating cyclone

• Tropical Cyclones
• Update #2- Myanmar cyclone death toll 22,500
  
• Update #1- Myanmar Cyclone Death Nearly 4,000
• Powerful tropical cyclone Nargis hits Myanmar

Nargis: Asia’s 2nd most devastating cyclone

Update #3: Nargis Death Toll May Top 100,000

A U.S. diplomat in Myanmar said the death toll in cyclone Nargis may exceed 100,000. Shari Villarosa, the U.S. charge d’affaires in Yangon, said figure was based on data from an international non-governmental organization.

“The information we are receiving indicates over 100,000 deaths,” she said, “I think most of the damage was caused by these 12-foot storm surges.”

According to the Myanmar state radio, the death toll was 22,980 with 42,119 missing and 1,383 injured by Wednesday night.

Dead bodies from Cyclone Nargis float on a flooded field in Labutta (Source: AFP) Image may be subject to copyright. See FEWW Fair Use Notice.

Nargis is Asia’s second most devastating cyclone in terms of loss of human lives. In 1991 a storm in Bangladesh killed 143,000.

Relate Links:

• Tropical Cyclones
• Update #2- Myanmar cyclone death toll 22,500
  
• Update #1- Myanmar Cyclone Death Nearly 4,000
• Powerful tropical cyclone Nargis hits Myanmar

• Estimated 80,000 cyclone dead in one Myanmar district: official
• UN says 1.5 million people affected by Myanmar storm
• U.S. diplomat: Cyclone toll in Myanmar “may top 100,000”
• Burma cyclone death toll may top 100,000: U.S. diplomat