Cyclone aftermath
Scale is relative, a fact that is never more evident than when tragedy strikes overseas.
One year after the devastating Greensburg tornado, which wiped out a small town and killed nine people, Myanmar is suffering horror on a exponentially larger scale.
At least 22,000 are dead after Cyclone Nargis slammed into the Southeast Asian nation -- that number is expected to rise dramatically considering more than 40,000 are categorized as "missing." It's estimated a million people are homeless after the worst natural disaster since the 2004 tsunami.
The West is leading the way once again in relief efforts. Britain has offered nearly $10 million in aid, the United States has put more than $3 million and the services of the U.S. Navy on the table.
To help, visit the Red Cross at american.redcross.org or UNICEF at www.unicefusa.org. Both organizations have funds designated to go directly to the Myanmar relief effort.
The scene in the country wedged between China and India is indeed horrific. Food is scarce, and there have been reports of fights breaking out over supplies.
The entire southern delta of the nation is deluged, officials said -- salt water that has contaminated drinking water. Prices for staples such as rice and cooking oil have doubled.
To compound what is already a tragedy of massive proportions, the relief effort itself likely will be bogged down in controversy and bureaucracy.
Myanmar is ruled by a military regime that normally restricts access to the country by foreign officials and organizations, and those trying to help already have reported running into obstacles trying to get supplies where they are needed most.
As of this morning, U.N. officials still had not gained entry into the nation and were waiting in nearby Thailand for the Myanmar junta to approve visas.
And, while word of friction between the United States and Myanmar won't make the evening news, the military regime has dubbed the United States a subversive threat -- making it unlikely American troops will be able to establish a presence in the nation to lend a hand.
While it's a shame the most giving nation in the world might be thwarted in attempts at helping those in the midst of tragedy, that shouldn't stop us from trying.
Editorial by Ron Fields
