Cyclone Nargis

The wrath of nature can strike anywhere, be it the northern valleys of Pakistan, southern coast of America or western island of Indonesia. The disasters are unpredictable, destruction of property and infrastructure unavoidable and death toll, in unfortunate cases, unprecedented. However, Cyclone Nargis in Burma, which is being estimated to have caused 100, 000 casualties, is different from the recent catastrophes.

Unlike the victims of Katrina, the Burmese people are being deprived of the much-needed international aid. The Burmese junta is wary of opening its doors to the aid workers and journalists. The ones present inside the country are struggling for permits to move around in the country and land airplanes supplying relief goods. Those, who are allowed to reach the worst hit areas, have to be escorted by a government official or Red Cross. With the widespread damage and rising death toll, the obstinacy of the government defies all norms of humane behaviour.

Another thing, which strikes one, is the way the disaster is being reported. Al-Jazeera did not name its correspondent for the fear of her safety; all the major international networks have relayed news reported by either anonymous reporters embedded within the disaster zone or present closest to the territory.

With planes full of relief goods sitting idle on the tarmacs and aid workers waiting for their ‘permits’, one can see the number of deaths and extent of destruction sprawl out of control.

~ by Amna on May 8, 2008.