The waiting continues for many cyclone survivors. Just north of the Laputta area the town of Myaung Mya is struggling to cope with an influx of refugees from areas still inundated with flood waters. The town serves as a transit point for survivors coming out of Laputta area and the southwestern tip of the Irrawaddy that saw the first land-fall of Cyclone Nargis. The area is the furthest from Yangon among those hard hit by the storm.

The road from Laputta runs north up through Myaung Mya. The government reportedly moved some refugees out into Myaung Mya, while others simply made their way on foot.

In another tragedy, … the International Red Cross announced that early Sunday morning a freight ship carrying supplies to Mawlamyinegyun from Yangon sunk after hitting a submerged tree. Supplies to support 1,000 people, along with a valuable means of aid transport, were lost in the accident. The route from Yangon to Mawlamyinegyun takes 12 hours by boat as many areas are inaccessible by road (press reports have noted that the Myanmar army has only 5 helicopters in working order to transport goods to survivors in remote areas).

On a more positive note, the AP is reporting that more aid got through to survivors on Sunday as the flow has increased and as more trees have been cleared from roadways.  However, the government upped the official death toll to 28,458 with 33,416 still reported missing. In the same report World Vision reported that many survivors have gone the week without receiving any assistance at all. Some, like those refugees in Myaung Mya are relying on the help of residents who had food and supplies of their own. It isn’t likely, however, that many have been thus fortunate.

]]> http://helpmyanmar.wordpress.com/2008/05/11/100-myanmar-churches-washed-away-in-bogale-laputta/ Sat, 10 May 2008 17:01:03 +0000 helpmyanmar http://helpmyanmar.wordpress.com/2008/05/11/100-myanmar-churches-washed-away-in-bogale-laputta/

My sources are telling me that dozens of churches were destroyed in the Bogale and Laputta areas. I’m hearing that roughly 70 were destroyed in Bogale and 30 in Laputta. The estimate is that there were roughly 100 members per each congregation. I believe all these were part of the Myanmar Baptist Convention and/or Karen Baptist Convention (Baptists make up the largest denomination in Myanmar). There are also quite a few Catholics in this area (and they are raising funds to provide assistance.)

In many news stories reporting on the situation in Yangon you will see reports of storm refugees staying in temples. Out in the Irrawaddy Delta this is true as well, but there is a higher percentage of Christians with some villages being almost exclusively Christian. However, now with many of these churches destroyed the situation is much more dire for refugees in and around Bogale and Laputta in finding shelter. In Myaung Mya the town’s schools are being used as shelters. This will likely put off the start of the new school year for area children, as the school year begins June 1st.

There are many churches around the world attended by people from Myanmar (Burmese, Karen, Kachin, Chin, etc.).  You can find them in Singapore, Australia, the U.S., and elsewhere.  Aid agencies would be wise to recruit some of these people (assuming they don’t include exciled activists who’d be arrested at the airport) to work for them in country. This is going to be a long-term aid effort and agencies would be better served finding creative solutions to the problems faced in Myanmar, than spending their time griping in the media. These overseas Burmese and smaller Myanmar aid groups are ones who know how to get things done and take action in the country. (And for some balance in coverage – Buddhist temples (2) are also raising funds as well.)