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These are messages from May 11th & 12th from an Aid worker in Yangon:

May 11th

There’s a lot to write and I don’t know where to begin. Whatever I write, it isn’t enough to express this situation. Perhaps I should start by letting you know that supplies are slowly beginning to come into the country. Several countries and agencies have received clearance for their cargo planes of supplies to come into the country in the next few days. The only restriction being placed on distribution of some of those supplies is that someone from the government must accompany those doing the distribution. Depending on the availability of government staff to accompany distribution teams, there may be more supplies flowing to more people soon.

I’m sure many people here share my sense that we are in the right place at the right time, but find ourselves bound and gagged. Hopefully, this is about to change. We are also hearing that the most successful way to distribute supplies to the neediest areas is to go by boat. While the overall picture is not at all what we would wish in terms of ability to have access and distribute supplies, no one is giving up.

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INFORMATION ON HOW TO DONATE TO METTA DEVELOPMENT FOUNDATION

This post contains excerpts from a Metta Foundation update on the work they are doing in Burma. You can see the full report on the Metta Foundation website

Updated information as of 10 May 2008, 1300 hrs

Metta has been present in the area since the aftermath of the tsunami, and this has enabled us to mount a quick response. In Yangon, the Program director and Communications Officers are working day and night, supported by many volunteers with useful skills. We have been able to mobilize local organizations and people from the area who can act there. They are supported by our staff and volunteers. In Pathein we have 3 Metta staff and 12 volunteers. Laputta and Myaungmya share 17 Metta staff, including an ECCD teacher, and many volunteers from churches, communities, etc. A medical team of Seventh Day Adventists is being sent today to Bogalay. In Pyin-hka-yaing Island where Metta was carrying out mangrove replantation, Metta is running a camp managed by three staff that received Disaster Management and Preparedness training from Oxfam Hong Kong.

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Hpong Latt Aung

The lampposts fell, the electricity went out, there was no water, and the living conditions have deteriorated to the lowest levels. I have never experienced this kind of event. For the sake of all the people of Myanmar, we should resolve this tragedy quickly.

Pyae Phyo Han

Nargis struck Myanmar from 12:00AM of May 2nd to 3PM of May 3rd. Neither of my grandparents has ever experienced this kind of storm. The storm devastated not only Yangon but also Laputta, Haing Kyi, Chaung Wa, and some other places. Many people died. Many trees fell. There was a lot of flooding. This is a truly terrible event. There are many homeless refugees. Despite these wretched conditions, countless greedy businessmen sell the sheets of iron roofing for 20,000K ($1=1100K). Before the price was between 3000-4000K. Before a pack of nails was 1000K. Now they are 15,000K. The bus fares are 3 to 4 times higher. Our school was also damaged by Nargis. All the trees that sheltered the school fell. The fence has also collapsed. There is no water and our school is closed for at least one month. It won’t be easy to restore Yagon’s beauty. The internet cafes are closed. But some are open for 1800-2000K per hour.

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These are messages from May 7th & 8th from an Aid worker in Yangon:

May 8th

We received a phone call from our staff in the field this morning. They went out to Bogalay Township and went to a village familiar to them which is south of the town of Bogalay. The situation was very grim. No food, no water, many people with diarrhoea, dead bodies, desperate marauding groups scavenging materials and creating violence with others. The lack of security is bad enough that these teams we’ve supported are coming back today and needing to regroup.

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A message from Gitameit about Cyclone Nargis

Help Cyclone Victims! — Click Here to make a donation.

Gitameit has turned into a disaster relief organization. The musicians and I drove to outlying townships today - we focused on the areas in which we started our music performance and teaching projects.

In our Gitameit Center backyard alone in Yankin - the hindu temple ceremony hall - there are 800 people camped out with less than satisfactory sanitation, diminishing clean water supply and very little else than rice porridge in the last two days.

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