Cyclone Nargis, Burma

Cyclone Nargis struck Burma on 2 May 2008, causing catastrophic destruction and at least 80,000 estimated fatalities with a further 56,000 people estimated still missing. Accurate figures of the destruction are not available due to the uncooperative military junta who rules Burma, resisting foreign aids and relief efforts.

Labutta Township alone was reported to have 80,000 dead and some have estimated the death toll may be well over 100,000.

Damage is estimated at over $10 billion (USD), which made it the most second most damaging cyclone of all time. It was also Burma’s worst natural disaster overall, as well as being the deadliest.

Even though knowing most of our donation will be sucked away by the corrupted junta, Rachel and I still went ahead to make our donation to the relief effort in Myanmar at a collection point in Peninsular Plaza, the Burmese enclave in Singapore. If just one percent of our donation reaches the victims, we are still glad to have help in some way to the impossibly shitty situation the victims are in with a corrupted government and lack of foreign aids, intervention and media attention.

Donations flow in fast and furious for the Si Chuan earthquake relief efforts, demonstrating that Singaporeans are indeed a compassionate lot. I am blogging about Cyclone Nargis now, even though it happened much earlier because appeals for donations are still ongoing, despite the lack of media coverage.

Here are some locations you can go to make your donations (alternatively, you can also pop by Peninsular Plaza and donate directly at various collection stations).

Technorati Tags: burma, burmese, Myanmar, Myanmese, singapore, cyclone nargis, labutta township, military junta, si chuan earthquake, relief efforts, donations, fund raising, peninsular plaza, cyclone victims