Cyclone Nargis
Encyclopedia
Cyclone Nargis was a strong tropical cyclone
that caused the worst natural disaster
in the recorded history of Burma. The cyclone made landfall
in Burma on Friday, May 2, 2008, causing catastrophic destruction and at least 138,000 fatalities. The Labutta Township
alone was reported to have 80,000 dead, with about 10,000 more deaths in Bogale
. There were around 55,000 people missing and many other deaths were found in other towns and areas, although the Burmese government
's official death toll may have been underreported, and there have been allegations that they stopped updating the death-toll after 138,000 to minimize political fallout. The feared 'second wave' of fatalities from disease and lack of relief efforts never materialized. Damage was estimated at over US$10 billion, which made it the most damaging cyclone ever recorded in this basin
.
Nargis is the deadliest named cyclone
in the North Indian Ocean Basin, as well as the second deadliest named cyclone of all time, behind Typhoon Nina
of 1975
. Including unnamed storms like the 1970 Bhola cyclone
, Nargis is the 8th deadliest cyclone of all time, but an uncertainty between the deaths caused by Nargis and those caused by other cyclones (like the 1991 Bangladesh cyclone
), could put Nargis as 7th deadliest or higher, because the exact death toll is uncertain. Nargis was the first tropical cyclone to strike the country since Cyclone Mala
made landfall in 2006, which was slightly stronger, but had a significantly lower impact. According to various reports, India
n authorities had warned Burma about the danger that Cyclone Nargis posed 48 hours before it hit the country's coast.
Relief efforts were slowed for political reasons as Burma's military rulers
initially resisted large-scale international aid. U.S. President
George W. Bush
said that an angry world should condemn the way Burma's military rulers were handling the aftermath of such a catastrophic cyclone. Burma's military junta finally accepted aid a few days after India
's request was accepted. Continued hampering of relief efforts was the fact that only ten days after the cyclone nearby central China
was hit by a massive earthquake, known as the Sichuan earthquake
which measured 7.9 in magnitude and it alone had taken 87,476 lives, and caused 85 billion dollars in damage (USD
), making it the costliest disaster in Chinese history and third costliest disaster ever known. Furthermore, some donated aid items were found to be available in the country's black market, and Burma's junta warned on May 15 that legal action would be taken against people who traded or hoarded international aid.
The cyclone name "Nargis" ( ˈnərɡɪs) is an Urdu
word meaning daffodil; the word has its roots in the Persian
name Nargess
, which has the same meaning. The first named storm of the 2008 North Indian Ocean cyclone season
, Nargis developed on April 27 in the central area of Bay of Bengal
. Initially it tracked slowly northwestward and, encountering favorable conditions, it quickly strengthened. Dry air weakened the cyclone on April 29, though after beginning a steady eastward motion Nargis rapidly intensified
to attain peak winds of at least 165 km/h (105 mph) on May 2 according to IMD
observations; the JTWC
assessed peak winds of 215 km/h (135 mph), making it a weak Category 4 cyclone on the SSHS
. The cyclone moved ashore in the Ayeyarwady Division
of Burma at peak intensity and, after passing near the major city of Yangon
(Rangoon), the storm gradually weakened until dissipating near the border of Burma and Thailand
.
persisted near a low-level circulation in the Bay of Bengal
about 1150 km (715 mi) east-southeast of Chennai
, India
. With good outflow
and low wind shear
, the system slowly organized as its circulation consolidated. At 0300 UTC
on April 27, the India Meteorological Department
(IMD) classified the system as a depression, and nine hours later the system intensified into a deep depression. At the same time, the Joint Typhoon Warning Center
classified it as Tropical Cyclone 01B. With a ridge
to its north, the system tracked slowly north-northwestward as banding features improved. At 0000 UTC, 5:30 AM Indian Standard Time
, on April 28, the IMD upgraded the system to Cyclonic Storm Nargis while it was located about 550 km (340 mi) east of Chennai, India.
On April 28 Nargis became nearly stationary while located between ridges to its northwest and southeast. That day the JTWC upgraded the storm to cyclone status, the equivalent of a minimal hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson hurricane scale
. Around the same time, the IMD upgraded Nargis to a severe cyclonic storm. The cyclone developed a concentric eye feature
, which is an eyewall outside the inner dominant eyewall, with warm waters aiding in further intensification. Early on April 29, the JTWC estimated Nargis reached winds of 160 km/h (100 mph), and at the same time the IMD classified the system as a very severe cyclonic storm. Initially, the cyclone was forecast to strike Bangladesh
or southeastern India
. Subsequently, the cyclone became disorganized and weakened due to subsidence
and drier air; as a result, deep convection near the center markedly decreased. At the same time, the storm began a motion to the northeast around the periphery of a ridge to its southeast. The circulation remained strong despite the diminishing convection, though satellite
intensity estimates using the Dvorak technique
indicated the cyclone could have weakened to tropical storm status. By late on April 29, convection had begun to rebuild, though immediate restrengthening was prevented by increased wind shear
.
On May 1, after turning nearly due eastward, Cyclone Nargis began rapidly intensifying
, due to greatly improved outflow in association with an approaching upper-level trough
. Strengthening continued as it developed a well-defined eye with a diameter of 19 km (12 mi), and early on May 2 the JTWC estimated the cyclone reached peak winds of 215 km/h (135 mph) as it approached the coast of Burma, making it a Category 4 storm. At the same time, the IMD assessed Nargis as attaining peak winds of 165 km/h (105 mph). Around 1200 UTC on May 2, Cyclone Nargis made landfall
in the Ayeyarwady Division
of Burma at peak strength. The storm gradually weakened as it proceeded east over Burma, with its proximity to the Andaman Sea
preventing rapid weakening. Its track turned to the northeast due to the approach of a mid-latitude trough to its northwest, passing just north of Yangon
with winds of 130 km/h (80 mph). Early on May 3 the IMD issued its final advisory on the storm. It quickly weakened after turning to the northeast toward the rugged terrain near the Burma-Thailand border, and after deteriorating to minimal tropical storm status, the JTWC issued its last advisory on Nargis.
formally asked the United Nations
for help, but in other ways it remained resistant to the most basic assistance. As of May 7, 2008, the government of Burma had not officially endorsed international assistance, but stated that they were, "willing to accept international assistance, preferably bilateral
, government to government." The biggest challenge was obtaining visa
s for entry into the country.
According to Thai Rath Newspaper of Thailand
on 8 May 2008, in the afternoon (Bangkok time) of 7 May 2008, the Burmese junta
permitted Italian flights containing relief supplies from the United Nations, and twenty-five tonnes of consumable goods, to land in Burma. However, many nations and organizations hoped to deliver assistance and relief to Burma without delay; most of their officials, supplies and stores were waiting in Thailand and at the Yangon airport, as the Burmese junta declined to issue visas
for many of those individuals. These political tensions raised the concern that some food and medical supplies might become unusable, even before the Burmese junta officially accepted the international relief effort.
, which has had experience with cyclones in the past, was one of the first countries to supply aid to Burma in the aftermath of Cyclone Nargis. Two planes carrying aid, organized by the Bangladesh Army
, were sent to Burma on 8 May 2008. They carried stockpiles of emergency aid and hundreds of aid workers with experience in coping with the aftermath of a cyclone.
, one of the few countries which maintains close relations with Burma, launched Operation Sahayata under which two Indian Navy
ships and two Indian Air Force
(IAF) aircraft supplied the first international relief material to the cyclone-hit country. The two aircraft carried 4 tonnes of relief supplies each while the Indian Navy
transported more than 100 tonnes of relief material. On May 8, the IAF dispatched its third air consignment carrying over 32 tonnes of relief material including tents, blankets and medicine
s. India planned to send more aid to Burma. In a separate development, Burma denied Indian search and rescue
teams and media
access to critical cyclone-hit areas. India released a statement saying it had requested Burma to accept international aid especially that from the United States
, to which Burma agreed. According to various reports, Indian authorities had warned Burma about the danger that Cyclone
Nargis posed 48 hours before it hit the country's coast. As of 16 May 2008, India's offer to send a team of 50 medical personnel to set up two independent mini-hospital
s in the Irrawaddy delta was accepted by the Burmese government. An aircraft carrying the team of doctors and approximately 6 tonnes of medicines was being prepared at Delhi
's Palam Air Force Base.
, and water purifiers in a flight organized by the World Food Program (WFP). The flight arrived in Yangon on May 8. This was the first aid flight from a Western nation, preceded only by aid from Thailand.
In addition to this aid, the Italian government provided €500,000 through the WFP and €500,000 through funding to relief agencies through the UN. An additional €123,000 was provided through the Red Cross, as well as €300,000 worth of further financing for emergency equipment.
sent US$100,000 in supplies, thirty tonnes of medical supplies and twelve tonnes of food supplies from Thai Red Cross. Additionally, Chaiya Sasomsap, Minister of Public Health of Thailand, stated that the Government had already sent medical supplies valued more than one billion baht ($31.3 million) to Burma. Furthermore, the Government of Thailand dispatched, upon the permission of the Burmese junta, twenty medical teams and twenty quick communicable disease suppression units. Samak Sundaravej
stated that "if Myanmar gives the green light allowing us to help, our Air Force will provide C-130
aircraft to carry our teams there. This should not be precipitately carried out, it has to have the permission of their government." On 7 May 2008, those units, with their subordinate airplanes, were permitted to land in Yangon, carrying drinking water and construction material.
which committed ₤17 million (approx US$33.5 million). The UK's Department for International Development
sent an international relief team to help with the co-ordination of the international relief effort. Another team from the same department was also on the ground inside Burma. The Royal Navy
dispatched HMS Westminster
to the area to assist. This ship was part of the Orion 08 group deployment but was detached on a contingency tasking.This mission was codenamed Operation Songster. Prime Minister
Gordon Brown
remained extremely critical of the Burmese régime and had not ruled out violating Burmese sovereignty by carrying out "forced airdrop
s" to deliver aid.
On May 5, U.S. Chargé d'Affaires
in Burma Shari Villarosa
declared a disaster due to the effects of Cyclone Nargis. In response, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) deployed a Disaster Assistance Response Team
(DART) and immediately provided $251,000 to UNICEF, WFP, and the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees
(UNHCR) for emergency food, water and sanitation, and shelter assistance.
On May 6, an additional $3 million from USAID was allocated for the provision of emergency relief assistance, including $1 million to the American Red Cross
and $2 million for NGO partners and on May 12, USAID Administrator Henrietta H. Fore
announced $13 million in food aid and logistics assistance through the World Food Programme.
From May 12 to 20, USAID and the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) coordinated the delivery of nearly $1.2 million of U.S. relief commodities to Rangoon on 185 DOD C-130 flights. The relief supplies would provide assistance to more than 113,000 beneficiaries. The DOD efforts were under the direction of Joint Task Force Caring Response
.
As of June 26, 2008, United States assistance had totaled $41,169,769 and continued to be directed by the USAID DART stationed in Thailand.
(OCHA) launched the Burmese HIC website. The purpose of the site was to improve information exchange and collaboration between operational agencies responding to Cyclone Nargis. Based in Bangkok
, the HIC was providing support to the Humanitarian Partnership Team and other humanitarian partners in Yangon
, as well as those based in Bangkok.
As of May 8, 2008, the Foundation for the People of Burma had a team on the ground in Rangoon and beyond providing direct assistance to thousands of refugees. Since this organization was administered by Buddhist volunteers and already had tacit permission from the Burmese government, all donations went directly for supplies.
The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies
had pledged $189,000 for relief. The Federation had also launched an appeal of a further CHF
73.9 million. Red Cross spokesman Matt Cochrane said that cyclone survivors needed everything. They needed emergency shelter to keep them dry, including food supplies. He said stagnant waters were a perfect breeding ground for the malaria mosquito
, so insecticide-treated net
s were needed. The Red Cross suffered a setback when a boat carrying supplies sank when it hit a submerged tree. Everyone aboard survived, but most of the cargo was lost. Ten Red Cross/Red Crescent relief flights carrying medical and shelter supplies were due to land in Yangon on 12 May.
Trocaire
, has been active in Burma since 1995 and were the first Irish aid agency to gain access after Cyclone Nargis. Relief work has been conducted mainly through local partners and membership of the international federation, Caritas Internationalis. Trocaire had appealed for the focus of humanitarian work in Burma not to be lost in the wake of China's more recent earthquake.
Save the Children
, one of the few agencies allowed to work in Burma, said the toll would likely sharply grow in the next few days as help reached isolated areas. On May 18, it announced that it believed that thirty thousand children younger than five were already facing malnutrition
and could starve in under a month if food did not reach them.
Médecins Sans Frontières
landed a plane full of 40 tons of relief and medical supplies in Rangoon. After clearing customs the supplies were transferred to local MSF warehouses. They have approximately 200 workers in the region, many whom have been involved in long term projects there and were already in the region.
World Vision
launched a US$3 million appeal and sought to get international aid into the country. Staff on the ground were working to distribute food, water and other non-food items while WV Myanmar managers sought approval from the government to work in the worst affected areas and to bring in aid from outside.
Avaaz.org
raised over US$2 million for relief efforts in Burma, through over 25,062 individual donations. They entrusted delivery and dissemination of the aid to the Burmese monks, bypassing the military junta. This unique approach proved successful. As of 2008-05-24, US$550,000 was confirmed delivered to the religious establishment with another US$1,000,000 en-route.
Local NGOs also responded to the emergency, many adapting from human-rights or women's focuses to humanitarian emergency relief.
reporter covering the effects of the storm. The reporter was eventually forced to leave the country out of fear of being imprisoned.
On 9 May 2008, the junta officially declared that their acceptance of international aid relief would be limited to food, medicines and other supplies as well as financial aid, but would not allow additional foreign aid workers or military units to operate in the country. Samak Sundaravej
, Prime Minister of Thailand
, stated that, following the request of Eric G. John, U.S. Ambassador to Thailand, he would visit Burma on 11 May in order to urge the junta to open the country. Quinton Quayle
, U.K. Ambassador to Thailand, later remarked that he would also join Sundaravej. However, the junta immediately replied that it was not willing to welcome anyone at this time. Sundaravej said that he would still submit the mediating letter to the junta without delay.
The delays had attracted international condemnation. Also, on 9 May in Bangkok, Richard Horsey, spokesperson of the United Nations, urged Burma to accept a full scale international relief effort. United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon
urged the junta to allow aid in "without hindrance". Ban's comments came after the World Food Programme resumed food aid after two shipments of high energy biscuits
were stolen by the military. The Canadian House of Commons
condemned the Burmese government's response in a resolution passed unanimously on May 9, 2008. Oxfam
International's regional chief Sarah Ireland warned that 1.5 million face death if they did not get clean water and sanitation soon: "It's really crucial that people get access to clean water sources and sanitation to avoid unnecessary deaths and suffering." Burma's government seemed unaware of the scope of the death and destruction Cyclone Nargis wrought on the country more than a week ago, it was reported May 13, 2008. Some critics were even suggesting genocide
since the Burmese government had deliberately denied storm victims aid, allowing for hundreds of thousands to potentially die from starvation, exposure, and disease.
On May 16, 2008, the Burmese UN ambassador accused France
of deploying a warship to the Burmese coast. The French UN ambassador denied the LHD Mistral
was a warship
, and claimed Burma's refusal to allow increased aid into the country "could lead to a true crime against humanity." France stated the ship in question was carrying 1,500 tons of relief supplies. UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown
accused the ruling junta of allowing the disaster to grow into a "man-made catastrophe" through its failure to act. He also rebuked the junta as being guilty of inhuman actions.
On May 19, Burma agreed to allow aid from members of the Association of South-East Asian Nations (ASEAN) to enter. The decision came after an emergency ASEAN summit. The aid would start arriving May 21. Ban Ki-moon would probably visit the country the same day to "accelerate relief efforts". That day, Ban announced that Burma was going to "allow all aid workers regardless of nationality
" to enter, although ships and helicopters were still not expected to be allowed. The announcement came after Ban had met with junta leader General Than Shwe
for over two hours. Organizations welcoming the announcement included World Vision
, the World Food Programme
, and the International Rescue Committee
.
On May 23, negotiations between UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon
and Than Shwe
resulted in the opening of Burma to aid workers, regardless of nationality. Burma's government was still staunchly opposed to the presence of military units in the country, only allowing dedicated relief workers. On June 5, a USS Essex
-led American carrier group full of aid left the Burmese coast after being denied entry for several weeks, taking its aid back undelivered.
On May 27, to complicate world opinion and in contrast to numerous and varied accounts from international relief organizations, the Burmese junta praised U.N. aid.
On June 5, 2008, Amnesty International
released a report saying that at least thirty people had been evicted from refugee camp
s. The report also indicated that the military was horse-trading aid for physical labour.
. Voting however was postponed until 24 May 2008 in Yangon
and other areas hardest hit by the storm.
On 8 May 2008, about thirty protesters assembled before the Burmese embassy in Manila
, Philippines
, demanding that the junta defer voting on the referendum and immediately accept international relief. The Philippine protesters delivered the statement that "this time is not the time for politics, but it is the time to save people." The United States
Government also demanded that the United Nations
not endorse the referendum. Aung San Suu Kyi
, leader of the Burmese opposition, also stated that holding a vote for the referendum during this disaster would be an consumedly unacceptable act. About 500 Burmese activists demonstrated on 10 May outside their country's embassy in Kuala Lumpur
, Malaysia, demanding that Burma's military regime call off its constitutional referendum even as voting began despite a devastating cyclone.
In a public poll
conducted throughout Burma on 9 May 2008 by Mizzima
, a Burmese news agency, 64% of those surveyed still intended to vote in the referendum. However, 71% did not know what the constitution
was, and 52% had not yet decided whether they would vote to support or oppose it.
news stories stated that foreign aid provided to disaster victims was modified to make it look like it came from the military regime, and state-run television continuously ran images of Gen. Than Shwe
ceremonially handing out disaster relief.
More than a week after the disaster, only one out of 10 people who were homeless, injured or threatened by disease and hunger had received some kind of aid. More than two weeks later, relief had only reached 25 percent of people in need.
Nine days after the cyclone, the military government was still refusing to grant visas and access for aid workers into the area. The UN called for an air or sea corridor to be opened to channel large amounts of aid, and the HMS Westminster
was sent to the area, alongside French
and United States
military assets.
, Burma Campaign UK
, Canadian Friends of Burma
, the US Campaign for Burma, Info Birmanie, as well as countless local partners, a Global Day of Action for Burma a call for Humanitarian Intervention was held on May 17, 2008, in cities worldwide. An apparent response to the junta's blockade of aid to the Cyclone Nargis victims, the international community called for a humanitarian intervention
to get aid into the hardest hit areas of Burma.
on May 2, it marked the only time that a Category 4 storm had formed in this basin for 3 consecutive years in a row (starting with 2006's Mala
), going into 2007 with Sidr
and Gonu
, and ending with Nargis.
The exact death toll from Nargis will likely never be known for sure, but it was most likely one of the deadliest tropical cyclones worldwide in recorded history.
growing that it was known as the "rice bowl" of the British Empire
. Production was high enough that Burma could feed its citizens a high amount of rice (by the standards of Asia) with enough left over to sell on the market. Since Nargis hit right around harvest, a rice shortage and famine
could result. The United Nations' Food and Agricultural Organization estimated that Nargis impacted 65% of the country's paddies
. They feel that the situation would be "devastating... if the recent disaster results in severe rice shortages." This might exacerbate the crisis already occurring, but it could be partially alleviated if fall and late summer harvests were good. Burma had since appealed for aid to assist with getting the rice planted, as its farmers had a 40 to 50-day window of opportunity before the season's crop would be lost. The Myanmar government estimated losses of US$10 billion because of the cyclone.
Tropical cyclone
A tropical cyclone is a storm system characterized by a large low-pressure center and numerous thunderstorms that produce strong winds and heavy rain. Tropical cyclones strengthen when water evaporated from the ocean is released as the saturated air rises, resulting in condensation of water vapor...
that caused the worst natural disaster
Natural disaster
A natural disaster is the effect of a natural hazard . It leads to financial, environmental or human losses...
in the recorded history of Burma. The cyclone made landfall
Landfall (meteorology)
Landfall is the event of a tropical cyclone or a waterspout coming onto land after being over water. When a waterspout makes landfall it is reclassified as a tornado, which can then cause damage inland...
in Burma on Friday, May 2, 2008, causing catastrophic destruction and at least 138,000 fatalities. The Labutta Township
Labutta Township
Labutta Township or Latputta Township is one of the two township in Labutta District in the Ayeyarwady Region of Burma . It is located in the delta of the Irrawaddy....
alone was reported to have 80,000 dead, with about 10,000 more deaths in Bogale
Bogale
Bogale is a small city located in the Bogale Township, Ayeyarwady Region, Myanmar . It is located on the southwestern part of Myanmar/Burma on the mainland section of the country. It can be reached by both water transportation and by land....
. There were around 55,000 people missing and many other deaths were found in other towns and areas, although the Burmese government
State Peace and Development Council
The State Peace and Development Council was the official name of the military regime of Burma , which seized power in 1988. On 30 March 2011, Senior General Than Shwe signed a decree to officially dissolve the Council....
's official death toll may have been underreported, and there have been allegations that they stopped updating the death-toll after 138,000 to minimize political fallout. The feared 'second wave' of fatalities from disease and lack of relief efforts never materialized. Damage was estimated at over US$10 billion, which made it the most damaging cyclone ever recorded in this basin
Tropical cyclone basins
Traditionally, areas of tropical cyclone formation are divided into seven basins. These include the north Atlantic Ocean, the eastern and western parts of the northern Pacific Ocean, the southwestern Pacific, the southwestern and southeastern Indian Oceans, and the northern Indian Ocean. The...
.
Nargis is the deadliest named cyclone
Tropical cyclone naming
Tropical cyclones have officially been named since 1945 and are named for a variety of reasons, which include to facilitate communications between forecasters and the public when forecasts, watches, and warnings are issued. Names also reduce confusion about what storm is being described, as more...
in the North Indian Ocean Basin, as well as the second deadliest named cyclone of all time, behind Typhoon Nina
Typhoon Nina (1975)
Super Typhoon Nina was a short-lived but intense super typhoon that caused catastrophic damage and loss of life in China after causing the Banqiao Dam to collapse...
of 1975
1975 Pacific typhoon season
The 1975 Pacific typhoon season has no official bounds; it ran year-round in 1975, but most tropical cyclones tend to form in the northwestern Pacific Ocean between June and December...
. Including unnamed storms like the 1970 Bhola cyclone
1970 Bhola cyclone
The 1970 Bhola cyclone was a devastating tropical cyclone that struck East Pakistan and India's West Bengal on November 12, 1970. It was the deadliest tropical cyclone ever recorded, and one of the deadliest natural disasters in modern times...
, Nargis is the 8th deadliest cyclone of all time, but an uncertainty between the deaths caused by Nargis and those caused by other cyclones (like the 1991 Bangladesh cyclone
1991 Bangladesh cyclone
-External links:** from NIRAPAD disaster response organisation.**...
), could put Nargis as 7th deadliest or higher, because the exact death toll is uncertain. Nargis was the first tropical cyclone to strike the country since Cyclone Mala
Cyclone Mala
Cyclone Mala, also known as Very Severe Cyclonic Storm Mala, was the strongest tropical cyclone of the 2006 North Indian Ocean cyclone season...
made landfall in 2006, which was slightly stronger, but had a significantly lower impact. According to various reports, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
n authorities had warned Burma about the danger that Cyclone Nargis posed 48 hours before it hit the country's coast.
Relief efforts were slowed for political reasons as Burma's military rulers
Military junta
A junta or military junta is a government led by a committee of military leaders. The term derives from the Spanish language junta meaning committee, specifically a board of directors...
initially resisted large-scale international aid. U.S. President
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
George W. Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
said that an angry world should condemn the way Burma's military rulers were handling the aftermath of such a catastrophic cyclone. Burma's military junta finally accepted aid a few days after India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
's request was accepted. Continued hampering of relief efforts was the fact that only ten days after the cyclone nearby central China
People's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
was hit by a massive earthquake, known as the Sichuan earthquake
2008 Sichuan earthquake
The 2008 Sichuan earthquake or the Great Sichuan Earthquake was a deadly earthquake that measured at 8.0 Msand 7.9 Mw occurred at 14:28:01 CST...
which measured 7.9 in magnitude and it alone had taken 87,476 lives, and caused 85 billion dollars in damage (USD
United States dollar
The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....
), making it the costliest disaster in Chinese history and third costliest disaster ever known. Furthermore, some donated aid items were found to be available in the country's black market, and Burma's junta warned on May 15 that legal action would be taken against people who traded or hoarded international aid.
The cyclone name "Nargis" ( ˈnərɡɪs) is an Urdu
Urdu
Urdu is a register of the Hindustani language that is identified with Muslims in South Asia. It belongs to the Indo-European family. Urdu is the national language and lingua franca of Pakistan. It is also widely spoken in some regions of India, where it is one of the 22 scheduled languages and an...
word meaning daffodil; the word has its roots in the Persian
Persian language
Persian is an Iranian language within the Indo-Iranian branch of the Indo-European languages. It is primarily spoken in Iran, Afghanistan, Tajikistan and countries which historically came under Persian influence...
name Nargess
Nargess (given name)
Nargess is a Persian female name, as well as the Persian word for flower Narcissus.-Notable persons with this name:*Narges Kalhor, Iranian film director*Nargess, a character in the Iranian film Nargess...
, which has the same meaning. The first named storm of the 2008 North Indian Ocean cyclone season
2008 North Indian Ocean cyclone season
The 2008 North Indian cyclone season was an ongoing event in the annual cycle of tropical cyclone formation. The North Indian cyclone season has no official bounds, but cyclones tend to form between April and December, with peaks in May and November...
, Nargis developed on April 27 in the central area of Bay of Bengal
Bay of Bengal
The Bay of Bengal , the largest bay in the world, forms the northeastern part of the Indian Ocean. It resembles a triangle in shape, and is bordered mostly by the Eastern Coast of India, southern coast of Bangladesh and Sri Lanka to the west and Burma and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands to the...
. Initially it tracked slowly northwestward and, encountering favorable conditions, it quickly strengthened. Dry air weakened the cyclone on April 29, though after beginning a steady eastward motion Nargis rapidly intensified
Rapid deepening
Rapid deepening, also known as rapid intensification, is a meteorological condition that occurs when the minimum sea-level atmospheric pressure of a tropical cyclone decreases drastically in a short period of time. The National Weather Service describes rapid deepening as a decrease of...
to attain peak winds of at least 165 km/h (105 mph) on May 2 according to IMD
India Meteorological Department
The India Meteorological Department , also referred to as the Met Office, is an agency of the Ministry of Earth Sciences of the Government of India. It is the principal agency responsible for meteorological observations, weather forecasting and seismology...
observations; the JTWC
Joint Typhoon Warning Center
The Joint Typhoon Warning Center is a joint United States Navy – United States Air Force task force located at the Naval Maritime Forecast Center in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii...
assessed peak winds of 215 km/h (135 mph), making it a weak Category 4 cyclone on the SSHS
Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale
The Saffir–Simpson Hurricane Scale , or the Saffir–Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale , classifies hurricanes — Western Hemisphere tropical cyclones that exceed the intensities of tropical depressions and tropical storms — into five categories distinguished by the intensities of their sustained winds...
. The cyclone moved ashore in the Ayeyarwady Division
Ayeyarwady Division
Ayeyarwady Region is a region of Myanmar, occupying the delta region of the Ayeyarwady River . It is bordered by Bago Region to the north, Bago Region and Yangon Region to the east, and the Bay of Bengal to the south and west...
of Burma at peak intensity and, after passing near the major city of Yangon
Yangon
Yangon is a former capital of Burma and the capital of Yangon Region . Although the military government has officially relocated the capital to Naypyidaw since March 2006, Yangon, with a population of over four million, continues to be the country's largest city and the most important commercial...
(Rangoon), the storm gradually weakened until dissipating near the border of Burma and Thailand
Thailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
.
Meteorological history
In the last week of April 2008, an area of deep convectionConvection
Convection is the movement of molecules within fluids and rheids. It cannot take place in solids, since neither bulk current flows nor significant diffusion can take place in solids....
persisted near a low-level circulation in the Bay of Bengal
Bay of Bengal
The Bay of Bengal , the largest bay in the world, forms the northeastern part of the Indian Ocean. It resembles a triangle in shape, and is bordered mostly by the Eastern Coast of India, southern coast of Bangladesh and Sri Lanka to the west and Burma and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands to the...
about 1150 km (715 mi) east-southeast of Chennai
Chennai
Chennai , formerly known as Madras or Madarasapatinam , is the capital city of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, located on the Coromandel Coast off the Bay of Bengal. Chennai is the fourth most populous metropolitan area and the sixth most populous city in India...
, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. With good outflow
Outflow (meteorology)
Outflow, in meteorology, is air that flows outwards from a storm system. It is associated with ridging, or anticyclonic flow. In the low levels of the troposphere, outflow radiates from thunderstorms in the form of a wedge of rain-cooled air, which is visible as a thin rope-like cloud on weather...
and low wind shear
Wind shear
Wind shear, sometimes referred to as windshear or wind gradient, is a difference in wind speed and direction over a relatively short distance in the atmosphere...
, the system slowly organized as its circulation consolidated. At 0300 UTC
Coordinated Universal Time
Coordinated Universal Time is the primary time standard by which the world regulates clocks and time. It is one of several closely related successors to Greenwich Mean Time. Computer servers, online services and other entities that rely on having a universally accepted time use UTC for that purpose...
on April 27, the India Meteorological Department
India Meteorological Department
The India Meteorological Department , also referred to as the Met Office, is an agency of the Ministry of Earth Sciences of the Government of India. It is the principal agency responsible for meteorological observations, weather forecasting and seismology...
(IMD) classified the system as a depression, and nine hours later the system intensified into a deep depression. At the same time, the Joint Typhoon Warning Center
Joint Typhoon Warning Center
The Joint Typhoon Warning Center is a joint United States Navy – United States Air Force task force located at the Naval Maritime Forecast Center in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii...
classified it as Tropical Cyclone 01B. With a ridge
Ridge (meteorology)
A ridge is an elongated region of relatively high atmospheric pressure, the opposite of a trough....
to its north, the system tracked slowly north-northwestward as banding features improved. At 0000 UTC, 5:30 AM Indian Standard Time
Indian Standard Time
Indian Standard Time is the time observed throughout India and Sri Lanka, with a time offset of UTC+05:30. India does not observe daylight saving time or other seasonal adjustments, although DST was used briefly during the Sino–Indian War of 1962 and the Indo–Pakistani Wars of 1965 and 1971...
, on April 28, the IMD upgraded the system to Cyclonic Storm Nargis while it was located about 550 km (340 mi) east of Chennai, India.
On April 28 Nargis became nearly stationary while located between ridges to its northwest and southeast. That day the JTWC upgraded the storm to cyclone status, the equivalent of a minimal hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson hurricane scale
Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale
The Saffir–Simpson Hurricane Scale , or the Saffir–Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale , classifies hurricanes — Western Hemisphere tropical cyclones that exceed the intensities of tropical depressions and tropical storms — into five categories distinguished by the intensities of their sustained winds...
. Around the same time, the IMD upgraded Nargis to a severe cyclonic storm. The cyclone developed a concentric eye feature
Eye (cyclone)
The eye is a region of mostly calm weather found at the center of strong tropical cyclones. The eye of a storm is a roughly circular area and typically 30–65 km in diameter. It is surrounded by the eyewall, a ring of towering thunderstorms where the second most severe weather of a cyclone...
, which is an eyewall outside the inner dominant eyewall, with warm waters aiding in further intensification. Early on April 29, the JTWC estimated Nargis reached winds of 160 km/h (100 mph), and at the same time the IMD classified the system as a very severe cyclonic storm. Initially, the cyclone was forecast to strike Bangladesh
Bangladesh
Bangladesh , officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh is a sovereign state located in South Asia. It is bordered by India on all sides except for a small border with Burma to the far southeast and by the Bay of Bengal to the south...
or southeastern India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. Subsequently, the cyclone became disorganized and weakened due to subsidence
Subsidence (atmosphere)
Subsidence in the Earth's atmosphere is most commonly caused by low temperatures: as air cools, it becomes denser and moves towards the ground, just as warm air becomes less dense and moves upwards...
and drier air; as a result, deep convection near the center markedly decreased. At the same time, the storm began a motion to the northeast around the periphery of a ridge to its southeast. The circulation remained strong despite the diminishing convection, though satellite
Satellite
In the context of spaceflight, a satellite is an object which has been placed into orbit by human endeavour. Such objects are sometimes called artificial satellites to distinguish them from natural satellites such as the Moon....
intensity estimates using the Dvorak technique
Dvorak technique
The Dvorak technique is a widely used system to subjectively estimate tropical cyclone intensity based solely on visible and infrared satellite images. Several agencies issue Dvorak intensity numbers for cyclones of sufficient intensity...
indicated the cyclone could have weakened to tropical storm status. By late on April 29, convection had begun to rebuild, though immediate restrengthening was prevented by increased wind shear
Wind shear
Wind shear, sometimes referred to as windshear or wind gradient, is a difference in wind speed and direction over a relatively short distance in the atmosphere...
.
Rapid deepening
Rapid deepening, also known as rapid intensification, is a meteorological condition that occurs when the minimum sea-level atmospheric pressure of a tropical cyclone decreases drastically in a short period of time. The National Weather Service describes rapid deepening as a decrease of...
, due to greatly improved outflow in association with an approaching upper-level trough
Trough (meteorology)
A trough is an elongated region of relatively low atmospheric pressure, often associated with fronts.Unlike fronts, there is not a universal symbol for a trough on a weather chart. The weather charts in some countries or regions mark troughs by a line. In the United States, a trough may be marked...
. Strengthening continued as it developed a well-defined eye with a diameter of 19 km (12 mi), and early on May 2 the JTWC estimated the cyclone reached peak winds of 215 km/h (135 mph) as it approached the coast of Burma, making it a Category 4 storm. At the same time, the IMD assessed Nargis as attaining peak winds of 165 km/h (105 mph). Around 1200 UTC on May 2, Cyclone Nargis made landfall
Landfall (meteorology)
Landfall is the event of a tropical cyclone or a waterspout coming onto land after being over water. When a waterspout makes landfall it is reclassified as a tornado, which can then cause damage inland...
in the Ayeyarwady Division
Ayeyarwady Division
Ayeyarwady Region is a region of Myanmar, occupying the delta region of the Ayeyarwady River . It is bordered by Bago Region to the north, Bago Region and Yangon Region to the east, and the Bay of Bengal to the south and west...
of Burma at peak strength. The storm gradually weakened as it proceeded east over Burma, with its proximity to the Andaman Sea
Andaman Sea
The Andaman Sea or Burma Sea is a body of water to the southeast of the Bay of Bengal, south of Burma, west of Thailand and east of the Andaman Islands, India; it is part of the Indian Ocean....
preventing rapid weakening. Its track turned to the northeast due to the approach of a mid-latitude trough to its northwest, passing just north of Yangon
Yangon
Yangon is a former capital of Burma and the capital of Yangon Region . Although the military government has officially relocated the capital to Naypyidaw since March 2006, Yangon, with a population of over four million, continues to be the country's largest city and the most important commercial...
with winds of 130 km/h (80 mph). Early on May 3 the IMD issued its final advisory on the storm. It quickly weakened after turning to the northeast toward the rugged terrain near the Burma-Thailand border, and after deteriorating to minimal tropical storm status, the JTWC issued its last advisory on Nargis.
Aftermath
International relief
On May 6, 2008, the Burmese government representation in New YorkNew York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
formally asked the United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
for help, but in other ways it remained resistant to the most basic assistance. As of May 7, 2008, the government of Burma had not officially endorsed international assistance, but stated that they were, "willing to accept international assistance, preferably bilateral
Bilateralism
Bilateralism consists of the political, economic, or cultural relations between two sovereign states. For example, free trade agreements signed by two states are examples of bilateral treaties. It is in contrast to unilateralism or multilateralism, which refers to the conduct of diplomacy by a...
, government to government." The biggest challenge was obtaining visa
Visa (document)
A visa is a document showing that a person is authorized to enter the territory for which it was issued, subject to permission of an immigration official at the time of actual entry. The authorization may be a document, but more commonly it is a stamp endorsed in the applicant's passport...
s for entry into the country.
According to Thai Rath Newspaper of Thailand
Thai Rath
Thai Rath is a Thai-language daily newspaper published in Bangkok and distributed nationwide. The paper is a broadsheet published with two sections. The first section is devoted to news. Although the news section is best known for its sensationalist coverage of crime and accidents, it also...
on 8 May 2008, in the afternoon (Bangkok time) of 7 May 2008, the Burmese junta
Military dictatorship
A military dictatorship is a form of government where in the political power resides with the military. It is similar but not identical to a stratocracy, a state ruled directly by the military....
permitted Italian flights containing relief supplies from the United Nations, and twenty-five tonnes of consumable goods, to land in Burma. However, many nations and organizations hoped to deliver assistance and relief to Burma without delay; most of their officials, supplies and stores were waiting in Thailand and at the Yangon airport, as the Burmese junta declined to issue visas
Visa (document)
A visa is a document showing that a person is authorized to enter the territory for which it was issued, subject to permission of an immigration official at the time of actual entry. The authorization may be a document, but more commonly it is a stamp endorsed in the applicant's passport...
for many of those individuals. These political tensions raised the concern that some food and medical supplies might become unusable, even before the Burmese junta officially accepted the international relief effort.
Bangladesh
BangladeshBangladesh
Bangladesh , officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh is a sovereign state located in South Asia. It is bordered by India on all sides except for a small border with Burma to the far southeast and by the Bay of Bengal to the south...
, which has had experience with cyclones in the past, was one of the first countries to supply aid to Burma in the aftermath of Cyclone Nargis. Two planes carrying aid, organized by the Bangladesh Army
Bangladesh Army
The Bangladesh Army is the land forces branch and the largest of the three uniformed service of the Bangladesh Armed Forces. The primary mission of the Army is to provide necessary forces and capabilities in support of Bangladesh's security and defense strategies including defense of the nation's...
, were sent to Burma on 8 May 2008. They carried stockpiles of emergency aid and hundreds of aid workers with experience in coping with the aftermath of a cyclone.
India
IndiaIndia
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, one of the few countries which maintains close relations with Burma, launched Operation Sahayata under which two Indian Navy
Indian Navy
The Indian Navy is the naval branch of the armed forces of India. The President of India serves as the Commander-in-Chief of the Navy. The Chief of Naval Staff , usually a four-star officer in the rank of Admiral, commands the Navy...
ships and two Indian Air Force
Indian Air Force
The Indian Air Force is the air arm of the Indian armed forces. Its primary responsibility is to secure Indian airspace and to conduct aerial warfare during a conflict...
(IAF) aircraft supplied the first international relief material to the cyclone-hit country. The two aircraft carried 4 tonnes of relief supplies each while the Indian Navy
Indian Navy
The Indian Navy is the naval branch of the armed forces of India. The President of India serves as the Commander-in-Chief of the Navy. The Chief of Naval Staff , usually a four-star officer in the rank of Admiral, commands the Navy...
transported more than 100 tonnes of relief material. On May 8, the IAF dispatched its third air consignment carrying over 32 tonnes of relief material including tents, blankets and medicine
Medicine
Medicine is the science and art of healing. It encompasses a variety of health care practices evolved to maintain and restore health by the prevention and treatment of illness....
s. India planned to send more aid to Burma. In a separate development, Burma denied Indian search and rescue
Search and rescue
Search and rescue is the search for and provision of aid to people who are in distress or imminent danger.The general field of search and rescue includes many specialty sub-fields, mostly based upon terrain considerations...
teams and media
News media
The news media are those elements of the mass media that focus on delivering news to the general public or a target public.These include print media , broadcast news , and more recently the Internet .-Etymology:A medium is a carrier of something...
access to critical cyclone-hit areas. India released a statement saying it had requested Burma to accept international aid especially that from the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, to which Burma agreed. According to various reports, Indian authorities had warned Burma about the danger that Cyclone
Nargis posed 48 hours before it hit the country's coast. As of 16 May 2008, India's offer to send a team of 50 medical personnel to set up two independent mini-hospital
Hospital
A hospital is a health care institution providing patient treatment by specialized staff and equipment. Hospitals often, but not always, provide for inpatient care or longer-term patient stays....
s in the Irrawaddy delta was accepted by the Burmese government. An aircraft carrying the team of doctors and approximately 6 tonnes of medicines was being prepared at Delhi
Delhi
Delhi , officially National Capital Territory of Delhi , is the largest metropolis by area and the second-largest by population in India, next to Mumbai. It is the eighth largest metropolis in the world by population with 16,753,265 inhabitants in the Territory at the 2011 Census...
's Palam Air Force Base.
Italy
Italy provided €465,000 (about $732,282) worth of aid in the form of 30 tons of emergency relief equipment, such as stretchers, generatorsElectrical generator
In electricity generation, an electric generator is a device that converts mechanical energy to electrical energy. A generator forces electric charge to flow through an external electrical circuit. It is analogous to a water pump, which causes water to flow...
, and water purifiers in a flight organized by the World Food Program (WFP). The flight arrived in Yangon on May 8. This was the first aid flight from a Western nation, preceded only by aid from Thailand.
In addition to this aid, the Italian government provided €500,000 through the WFP and €500,000 through funding to relief agencies through the UN. An additional €123,000 was provided through the Red Cross, as well as €300,000 worth of further financing for emergency equipment.
Malaysia
Mercy Malaysia also trained 180 doctors from the Myanmar Medical Association in Yangon for deployment in the Irrawaddy Delta. RM 1.8 mil was collected for victims of Burma’s cyclone victims through The Star Myanmar Relief Fund and handed to Mercy Malaysia executive council member Dr Ahmad Faizal Perdaus. A second Malaysian Red Crescent Society (MRCS) disaster relief team was sent to Burma on May 21, 2008.Thailand
ThailandThailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
sent US$100,000 in supplies, thirty tonnes of medical supplies and twelve tonnes of food supplies from Thai Red Cross. Additionally, Chaiya Sasomsap, Minister of Public Health of Thailand, stated that the Government had already sent medical supplies valued more than one billion baht ($31.3 million) to Burma. Furthermore, the Government of Thailand dispatched, upon the permission of the Burmese junta, twenty medical teams and twenty quick communicable disease suppression units. Samak Sundaravej
Samak Sundaravej
Samak Sundaravej was a Thai Chinese politician who briefly served as the Prime Minister of Thailand and Minister of Defense in 2008, as well as the leader of the People's Power Party in 2008.-Early life and family:...
stated that "if Myanmar gives the green light allowing us to help, our Air Force will provide C-130
C-130 Hercules
The Lockheed C-130 Hercules is a four-engine turboprop military transport aircraft designed and built originally by Lockheed, now Lockheed Martin. Capable of using unprepared runways for takeoffs and landings, the C-130 was originally designed as a troop, medical evacuation, and cargo transport...
aircraft to carry our teams there. This should not be precipitately carried out, it has to have the permission of their government." On 7 May 2008, those units, with their subordinate airplanes, were permitted to land in Yangon, carrying drinking water and construction material.
United Kingdom
The largest pledged sum from any single nation was donated by the United KingdomUnited Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
which committed ₤17 million (approx US$33.5 million). The UK's Department for International Development
Department for International Development
The Department For International Development is a United Kingdom government department with a Cabinet Minister in charge. It was separated from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in 1997. The goal of the department is "to promote sustainable development and eliminate world poverty". The current...
sent an international relief team to help with the co-ordination of the international relief effort. Another team from the same department was also on the ground inside Burma. The Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
dispatched HMS Westminster
HMS Westminster (F237)
HMS Westminster is a Type 23 frigate of the Royal Navy, and the second ship to bear the name. She was launched on 4 February 1992.Westminster was used for the interior shots in the 1997 James Bond film Tomorrow Never Dies in three different roles - as HMS Chester, HMS Devonshire and HMS Bedford...
to the area to assist. This ship was part of the Orion 08 group deployment but was detached on a contingency tasking.This mission was codenamed Operation Songster. Prime Minister
Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
The Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the Head of Her Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom. The Prime Minister and Cabinet are collectively accountable for their policies and actions to the Sovereign, to Parliament, to their political party and...
Gordon Brown
Gordon Brown
James Gordon Brown is a British Labour Party politician who was the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Leader of the Labour Party from 2007 until 2010. He previously served as Chancellor of the Exchequer in the Labour Government from 1997 to 2007...
remained extremely critical of the Burmese régime and had not ruled out violating Burmese sovereignty by carrying out "forced airdrop
Airdrop
An airdrop is a type of airlift, developed during World War II to resupply otherwise inaccessible troops, who themselves may have been airborne forces. In some cases, it is used to refer to the airborne assault itself. Early airdrops were conducted by dropping or pushing padded bundles from...
s" to deliver aid.
United States
Chargé d'affaires
In diplomacy, chargé d’affaires , often shortened to simply chargé, is the title of two classes of diplomatic agents who head a diplomatic mission, either on a temporary basis or when no more senior diplomat has been accredited.-Chargés d’affaires:Chargés d’affaires , who were...
in Burma Shari Villarosa
Shari Villarosa
Shari Villarosa is a United States diplomat and career foreign service officer. She served as the chargé d'affaires for the United States Embassy in Rangoon, August 2005 to September 2008...
declared a disaster due to the effects of Cyclone Nargis. In response, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) deployed a Disaster Assistance Response Team
Disaster Assistance Response Team
The Disaster Assistance Response Team is a rapidly deployable team of 200 Canadian Forces personnel. It provides assistance to disaster-affected regions for up to 40 days. DART's headquarters is in Kingston, Ontario...
(DART) and immediately provided $251,000 to UNICEF, WFP, and the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees
United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees
The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees , also known as The UN Refugee Agency is a United Nations agency mandated to protect and support refugees at the request of a government or the UN itself and assists in their voluntary repatriation, local integration or resettlement to...
(UNHCR) for emergency food, water and sanitation, and shelter assistance.
On May 6, an additional $3 million from USAID was allocated for the provision of emergency relief assistance, including $1 million to the American Red Cross
American Red Cross
The American Red Cross , also known as the American National Red Cross, is a volunteer-led, humanitarian organization that provides emergency assistance, disaster relief and education inside the United States. It is the designated U.S...
and $2 million for NGO partners and on May 12, USAID Administrator Henrietta H. Fore
Henrietta H. Fore
Henrietta Holsman Fore was the Administrator of the United States Agency for International Development and Director of U.S. Foreign Assistance. She was designated these positions by President George W. Bush and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, respectively, on May 7, 2007...
announced $13 million in food aid and logistics assistance through the World Food Programme.
From May 12 to 20, USAID and the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) coordinated the delivery of nearly $1.2 million of U.S. relief commodities to Rangoon on 185 DOD C-130 flights. The relief supplies would provide assistance to more than 113,000 beneficiaries. The DOD efforts were under the direction of Joint Task Force Caring Response
Joint Task Force Caring Response
Joint Task Force Caring Response is a United States multi-service humanitarian assistance and disaster relief effort for Burmese citizens devastated by recent Cyclone Nargis.JTF Caring Response was led by LtGen John F...
.
As of June 26, 2008, United States assistance had totaled $41,169,769 and continued to be directed by the USAID DART stationed in Thailand.
Other relief efforts
On 15 May, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian AffairsOffice for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs
The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs , is a United Nations body formed in December 1991 by General Assembly Resolution 46/182...
(OCHA) launched the Burmese HIC website. The purpose of the site was to improve information exchange and collaboration between operational agencies responding to Cyclone Nargis. Based in Bangkok
Bangkok
Bangkok is the capital and largest urban area city in Thailand. It is known in Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon or simply Krung Thep , meaning "city of angels." The full name of Bangkok is Krung Thep Mahanakhon Amon Rattanakosin Mahintharayutthaya Mahadilok Phop Noppharat Ratchathani Burirom...
, the HIC was providing support to the Humanitarian Partnership Team and other humanitarian partners in Yangon
Yangon
Yangon is a former capital of Burma and the capital of Yangon Region . Although the military government has officially relocated the capital to Naypyidaw since March 2006, Yangon, with a population of over four million, continues to be the country's largest city and the most important commercial...
, as well as those based in Bangkok.
As of May 8, 2008, the Foundation for the People of Burma had a team on the ground in Rangoon and beyond providing direct assistance to thousands of refugees. Since this organization was administered by Buddhist volunteers and already had tacit permission from the Burmese government, all donations went directly for supplies.
The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies
International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement
The International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement is an international humanitarian movement with approximately 97 million volunteers, members and staff worldwide which was founded to protect human life and health, to ensure respect for all human beings, and to prevent and alleviate human...
had pledged $189,000 for relief. The Federation had also launched an appeal of a further CHF
Swiss franc
The franc is the currency and legal tender of Switzerland and Liechtenstein; it is also legal tender in the Italian exclave Campione d'Italia. Although not formally legal tender in the German exclave Büsingen , it is in wide daily use there...
73.9 million. Red Cross spokesman Matt Cochrane said that cyclone survivors needed everything. They needed emergency shelter to keep them dry, including food supplies. He said stagnant waters were a perfect breeding ground for the malaria mosquito
Anopheles gambiae
Anopheles gambiae is a complex of at least seven morphologically distinguishable species of mosquitoes in the genus Anopheles. This complex was recognised in the 1960s and includes the most important vectors of malaria in sub-Saharan Africa and the most efficient malaria vectors known.This species...
, so insecticide-treated net
Mosquito net
A mosquito net offers protection against mosquitos, flies, and other insects, and thus against diseases such as malaria, dengue fever, yellow fever, and various forms of encephalitis, including the West Nile virus, if used properly and especially if treated with an insecticide, which can double...
s were needed. The Red Cross suffered a setback when a boat carrying supplies sank when it hit a submerged tree. Everyone aboard survived, but most of the cargo was lost. Ten Red Cross/Red Crescent relief flights carrying medical and shelter supplies were due to land in Yangon on 12 May.
Trocaire
Trócaire
Trócaire is an Irish non governmental organization development agency. The charity is registered in the Republic of Ireland under Irish Charity No...
, has been active in Burma since 1995 and were the first Irish aid agency to gain access after Cyclone Nargis. Relief work has been conducted mainly through local partners and membership of the international federation, Caritas Internationalis. Trocaire had appealed for the focus of humanitarian work in Burma not to be lost in the wake of China's more recent earthquake.
Save the Children
Save the Children
Save the Children is an internationally active non-governmental organization that enforces children's rights, provides relief and helps support children in developing countries...
, one of the few agencies allowed to work in Burma, said the toll would likely sharply grow in the next few days as help reached isolated areas. On May 18, it announced that it believed that thirty thousand children younger than five were already facing malnutrition
Malnutrition
Malnutrition is the condition that results from taking an unbalanced diet in which certain nutrients are lacking, in excess , or in the wrong proportions....
and could starve in under a month if food did not reach them.
Médecins Sans Frontières
Médecins Sans Frontières
' , or Doctors Without Borders, is a secular humanitarian-aid non-governmental organization best known for its projects in war-torn regions and developing countries facing endemic diseases. Its headquarters are in Geneva, Switzerland...
landed a plane full of 40 tons of relief and medical supplies in Rangoon. After clearing customs the supplies were transferred to local MSF warehouses. They have approximately 200 workers in the region, many whom have been involved in long term projects there and were already in the region.
World Vision
World Vision
World Vision, founded in the USA in 1950, is an evangelical relief and development organization whose stated goal is "to follow our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ in working with the poor and oppressed to promote human transformation, seek justice and bear witness to the good news of the Kingdom of...
launched a US$3 million appeal and sought to get international aid into the country. Staff on the ground were working to distribute food, water and other non-food items while WV Myanmar managers sought approval from the government to work in the worst affected areas and to bring in aid from outside.
Avaaz.org
Avaaz.org
Avaaz.org is a global civic organization launched in January 2007 that promotes activism on issues such as climate change, human rights, corruption, poverty, and conflict...
raised over US$2 million for relief efforts in Burma, through over 25,062 individual donations. They entrusted delivery and dissemination of the aid to the Burmese monks, bypassing the military junta. This unique approach proved successful. As of 2008-05-24, US$550,000 was confirmed delivered to the religious establishment with another US$1,000,000 en-route.
Local NGOs also responded to the emergency, many adapting from human-rights or women's focuses to humanitarian emergency relief.
| Country | Contribution |
|---|---|
| Association of Southeast Asian Nations | An assessment team and 30 medical personnel per country. |
 Australia |
A$ Australian dollar The Australian dollar is the currency of the Commonwealth of Australia, including Christmas Island, Cocos Islands, and Norfolk Island, as well as the independent Pacific Island states of Kiribati, Nauru and Tuvalu... 25 million (US$ United States dollar The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies.... 23.5 million) and 31 tonnes of supplies. |
| 20 tonnes of food, medicine | |
 Belgium |
€250,000 (US$387,000) and €100,000 from Flanders |
 Brazil |
Zinc roofing tiles, canvas tents and first aid items. |
 Brunei |
Relief materials |
 Cambodia |
US$50,000 |
 Canada |
Up to US$2 million in emergency relief, $500,000 of which is for the Red Cross, Disaster Assistance Response Team Disaster Assistance Response Team The Disaster Assistance Response Team is a rapidly deployable team of 200 Canadian Forces personnel. It provides assistance to disaster-affected regions for up to 40 days. DART's headquarters is in Kingston, Ontario... (DART) is on standby; additional aid to come |
 Mainland China |
US$10 million in aid and relief materials (including 3 flights using Jade Cargo each consisting of 60 tonnes of aid) |
 Czech Republic |
US$154,000 |
 Denmark |
US$2.1 million |
 European Union |
US$3.0 million |
 Estonia |
US$51,200 |
 Finland |
€300,000 (US$464,000) |
 Early Modern France |
1,500 tons of medicine, food, and water; US$775,000 |
 Germany |
US$3.0 million |
 Greece |
US$200,000, medicine and humanitarian aid |
 Hungary |
US$300,000, medicine, food, humanitarian aid |
 India |
More than 178 tonnes of relief materials; tents, food supplies, medicines. A team of 50 medical personnel is being sent to set up hospitals in the Irrawaddy delta. |
 Indonesia |
US$1 million in cash and other aids in foods and medicines |
 Republic of Ireland |
€1,000,000 (US$1,550,000) |
 Israel |
US$100,000, food and medical supplies by private organizations |
 Italy |
€1,500,000 (US$2,250,000) |
 Japan |
JPY Japanese yen The is the official currency of Japan. It is the third most traded currency in the foreign exchange market after the United States dollar and the euro. It is also widely used as a reserve currency after the U.S. dollar, the euro and the pound sterling... ¥28 million in tents and generators = US$267,000; US$10 million through UN World Food Program & US$570,000 pledged assistance |
 Laos |
US$20,000 worth of food |
 Lithuania |
Lithuanian government donated Lt Lithuanian litas The Lithuanian litas is the currency of Lithuania. It is divided into 100 centų... 200,000 ($90,000) to Red Cross. |
 Malaysia |
US$4,100,000 |
| US$50,000 | |
 Netherlands |
€1,000,000 (US$1,550,000) |
 New Zealand |
NZ$ New Zealand dollar The New Zealand dollar is the currency of New Zealand. It also circulates in the Cook Islands , Niue, Tokelau, and the Pitcairn Islands. It is divided into 100 cents.... 3.5 million |
 Norway |
Up to US$1.96 million |
 Pakistan |
Relief materials and setting up of a mobile hospital in the affected region upon approval of Burmese government. |
 Philippines |
Medical workers and US$3,000,000 and relief goods in cash and C-130 Hecules with Aid |
 Russia |
80 tonnes of food, generators, medicine, tents and blankets |
 San Marino |
€30,000 |
 Serbia |
Relief materials, medicines and medical supply. |
 Singapore |
US$200,000 |
 Spain |
US$775,000 donation to World Food Programme |
 Sri Lanka |
US$100,000 plus food and assistance of medical workers |
 Sweden |
Logistical support and water cleaning systems |
 Switzerland |
US$475,000 (initial) |
| US$200,000 | |
 Thailand |
US$100,000, food and medical supplies (initial) |
 Turkey |
US$1,000,000 from Ministry of Foreign Affairs, US$600,000 from Turkish Red Crescent |
 United Kingdom |
₤ Pound sterling The pound sterling , commonly called the pound, is the official currency of the United Kingdom, its Crown Dependencies and the British Overseas Territories of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, British Antarctic Territory and Tristan da Cunha. It is subdivided into 100 pence... 45 million committed (US$73.5 million at the Nov. 7, 2008, exchange rate), HMS Westminster HMS Westminster (F237) HMS Westminster is a Type 23 frigate of the Royal Navy, and the second ship to bear the name. She was launched on 4 February 1992.Westminster was used for the interior shots in the 1997 James Bond film Tomorrow Never Dies in three different roles - as HMS Chester, HMS Devonshire and HMS Bedford... |
 United States |
US$47.245 million (as of July 10, 2008) |
 Vietnam |
US$200,000 |
Military junta's blockade of aid
In the days after the storm, the junta pursued a CNNCNN
Cable News Network is a U.S. cable news channel founded in 1980 by Ted Turner. Upon its launch, CNN was the first channel to provide 24-hour television news coverage, and the first all-news television channel in the United States...
reporter covering the effects of the storm. The reporter was eventually forced to leave the country out of fear of being imprisoned.
On 9 May 2008, the junta officially declared that their acceptance of international aid relief would be limited to food, medicines and other supplies as well as financial aid, but would not allow additional foreign aid workers or military units to operate in the country. Samak Sundaravej
Samak Sundaravej
Samak Sundaravej was a Thai Chinese politician who briefly served as the Prime Minister of Thailand and Minister of Defense in 2008, as well as the leader of the People's Power Party in 2008.-Early life and family:...
, Prime Minister of Thailand
Thailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
, stated that, following the request of Eric G. John, U.S. Ambassador to Thailand, he would visit Burma on 11 May in order to urge the junta to open the country. Quinton Quayle
Quinton Quayle
Quinton Mark Quayle is a British diplomat. Educated at Bromsgrove School and University of Bristol, he entered the Foreign Office in 1977 and studied Thai at the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London....
, U.K. Ambassador to Thailand, later remarked that he would also join Sundaravej. However, the junta immediately replied that it was not willing to welcome anyone at this time. Sundaravej said that he would still submit the mediating letter to the junta without delay.
The delays had attracted international condemnation. Also, on 9 May in Bangkok, Richard Horsey, spokesperson of the United Nations, urged Burma to accept a full scale international relief effort. United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon
Ban Ki-moon
Ban Ki-moon is the eighth and current Secretary-General of the United Nations, after succeeding Kofi Annan in 2007. Before going on to be Secretary-General, Ban was a career diplomat in South Korea's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and in the United Nations. He entered diplomatic service the year he...
urged the junta to allow aid in "without hindrance". Ban's comments came after the World Food Programme resumed food aid after two shipments of high energy biscuits
High Energy Biscuits
High Energy Biscuits are wheat biscuits containing high-protein cereals and vegetable fat. Because of their high energy-to-weight ratio they are procured by the World Food Programme, the food aid branch of the United Nations, for feeding disaster victims worldwide.HEBs have been provided to a...
were stolen by the military. The Canadian House of Commons
Canadian House of Commons
The House of Commons of Canada is a component of the Parliament of Canada, along with the Sovereign and the Senate. The House of Commons is a democratically elected body, consisting of 308 members known as Members of Parliament...
condemned the Burmese government's response in a resolution passed unanimously on May 9, 2008. Oxfam
Oxfam
Oxfam is an international confederation of 15 organizations working in 98 countries worldwide to find lasting solutions to poverty and related injustice around the world. In all Oxfam’s actions, the ultimate goal is to enable people to exercise their rights and manage their own lives...
International's regional chief Sarah Ireland warned that 1.5 million face death if they did not get clean water and sanitation soon: "It's really crucial that people get access to clean water sources and sanitation to avoid unnecessary deaths and suffering." Burma's government seemed unaware of the scope of the death and destruction Cyclone Nargis wrought on the country more than a week ago, it was reported May 13, 2008. Some critics were even suggesting genocide
Genocide
Genocide is defined as "the deliberate and systematic destruction, in whole or in part, of an ethnic, racial, religious, or national group", though what constitutes enough of a "part" to qualify as genocide has been subject to much debate by legal scholars...
since the Burmese government had deliberately denied storm victims aid, allowing for hundreds of thousands to potentially die from starvation, exposure, and disease.
On May 16, 2008, the Burmese UN ambassador accused France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
of deploying a warship to the Burmese coast. The French UN ambassador denied the LHD Mistral
Mistral (L9013)
The Mistral is an amphibious assault ship, a type of helicopter carrier, of the French Navy. She is the fourth vessel to bear the name, and is the lead ship of the Mistral-class amphibious assault ships.- History :...
was a warship
Warship
A warship is a ship that is built and primarily intended for combat. Warships are usually built in a completely different way from merchant ships. As well as being armed, warships are designed to withstand damage and are usually faster and more maneuvrable than merchant ships...
, and claimed Burma's refusal to allow increased aid into the country "could lead to a true crime against humanity." France stated the ship in question was carrying 1,500 tons of relief supplies. UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown
Gordon Brown
James Gordon Brown is a British Labour Party politician who was the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Leader of the Labour Party from 2007 until 2010. He previously served as Chancellor of the Exchequer in the Labour Government from 1997 to 2007...
accused the ruling junta of allowing the disaster to grow into a "man-made catastrophe" through its failure to act. He also rebuked the junta as being guilty of inhuman actions.
On May 19, Burma agreed to allow aid from members of the Association of South-East Asian Nations (ASEAN) to enter. The decision came after an emergency ASEAN summit. The aid would start arriving May 21. Ban Ki-moon would probably visit the country the same day to "accelerate relief efforts". That day, Ban announced that Burma was going to "allow all aid workers regardless of nationality
Nationality
Nationality is membership of a nation or sovereign state, usually determined by their citizenship, but sometimes by ethnicity or place of residence, or based on their sense of national identity....
" to enter, although ships and helicopters were still not expected to be allowed. The announcement came after Ban had met with junta leader General Than Shwe
Than Shwe
Senior General Than Shwe is a Burmese military leader and politician who was chairman of the State Peace and Development Council from 1992 to 2011. During the period, he held key positions of power including commander-in-chief of the Myanmar Armed Forces and head of Union Solidarity and...
for over two hours. Organizations welcoming the announcement included World Vision
World Vision
World Vision, founded in the USA in 1950, is an evangelical relief and development organization whose stated goal is "to follow our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ in working with the poor and oppressed to promote human transformation, seek justice and bear witness to the good news of the Kingdom of...
, the World Food Programme
World Food Programme
The World Food Programme is the food aid branch of the United Nations, and the world's largest humanitarian organization addressing hunger worldwide. WFP provides food, on average, to 90 million people per year, 58 million of whom are children...
, and the International Rescue Committee
International Rescue Committee
The International Rescue Committee is a leading nonsectarian, nongovernmental international relief and development organization based in the United States, with operations in over 40 countries...
.
On May 23, negotiations between UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon
Ban Ki-moon
Ban Ki-moon is the eighth and current Secretary-General of the United Nations, after succeeding Kofi Annan in 2007. Before going on to be Secretary-General, Ban was a career diplomat in South Korea's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and in the United Nations. He entered diplomatic service the year he...
and Than Shwe
Than Shwe
Senior General Than Shwe is a Burmese military leader and politician who was chairman of the State Peace and Development Council from 1992 to 2011. During the period, he held key positions of power including commander-in-chief of the Myanmar Armed Forces and head of Union Solidarity and...
resulted in the opening of Burma to aid workers, regardless of nationality. Burma's government was still staunchly opposed to the presence of military units in the country, only allowing dedicated relief workers. On June 5, a USS Essex
USS Essex (LHD-2)
USS Essex is a built at what is now Huntington Ingalls Industries in Pascagoula, Mississippi, and commissioned on 17 October 1992 while moored at North Island NAS beside the Kitty Hawk . It is the fifth ship named for Essex County, Massachusetts...
-led American carrier group full of aid left the Burmese coast after being denied entry for several weeks, taking its aid back undelivered.
On May 27, to complicate world opinion and in contrast to numerous and varied accounts from international relief organizations, the Burmese junta praised U.N. aid.
On June 5, 2008, Amnesty International
Amnesty International
Amnesty International is an international non-governmental organisation whose stated mission is "to conduct research and generate action to prevent and end grave abuses of human rights, and to demand justice for those whose rights have been violated."Following a publication of Peter Benenson's...
released a report saying that at least thirty people had been evicted from refugee camp
Refugee camp
A refugee camp is a temporary settlement built to receive refugees. Hundreds of thousands of people may live in any one single camp. Usually they are built and run by a government, the United Nations, or international organizations, or NGOs.Refugee camps are generally set up in an impromptu...
s. The report also indicated that the military was horse-trading aid for physical labour.
Uninterrupted referendum
Despite objections raised by the Burmese opposition parties and foreign nations in the wake of the natural disaster, the junta proceeded with a previously scheduled (10 May 2008) constitutional referendumReferendum
A referendum is a direct vote in which an entire electorate is asked to either accept or reject a particular proposal. This may result in the adoption of a new constitution, a constitutional amendment, a law, the recall of an elected official or simply a specific government policy. It is a form of...
. Voting however was postponed until 24 May 2008 in Yangon
Yangon
Yangon is a former capital of Burma and the capital of Yangon Region . Although the military government has officially relocated the capital to Naypyidaw since March 2006, Yangon, with a population of over four million, continues to be the country's largest city and the most important commercial...
and other areas hardest hit by the storm.
On 8 May 2008, about thirty protesters assembled before the Burmese embassy in Manila
Manila
Manila is the capital of the Philippines. It is one of the sixteen cities forming Metro Manila.Manila is located on the eastern shores of Manila Bay and is bordered by Navotas and Caloocan to the north, Quezon City to the northeast, San Juan and Mandaluyong to the east, Makati on the southeast,...
, Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
, demanding that the junta defer voting on the referendum and immediately accept international relief. The Philippine protesters delivered the statement that "this time is not the time for politics, but it is the time to save people." The United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
Government also demanded that the United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
not endorse the referendum. Aung San Suu Kyi
Aung San Suu Kyi
Aung San Suu Kyi, AC is a Burmese opposition politician and the General Secretary of the National League for Democracy. In the 1990 general election, her National League for Democracy party won 59% of the national votes and 81% of the seats in Parliament. She had, however, already been detained...
, leader of the Burmese opposition, also stated that holding a vote for the referendum during this disaster would be an consumedly unacceptable act. About 500 Burmese activists demonstrated on 10 May outside their country's embassy in Kuala Lumpur
Kuala Lumpur
Kuala Lumpur is the capital and the second largest city in Malaysia by population. The city proper, making up an area of , has a population of 1.4 million as of 2010. Greater Kuala Lumpur, also known as the Klang Valley, is an urban agglomeration of 7.2 million...
, Malaysia, demanding that Burma's military regime call off its constitutional referendum even as voting began despite a devastating cyclone.
In a public poll
Opinion poll
An opinion poll, sometimes simply referred to as a poll is a survey of public opinion from a particular sample. Opinion polls are usually designed to represent the opinions of a population by conducting a series of questions and then extrapolating generalities in ratio or within confidence...
conducted throughout Burma on 9 May 2008 by Mizzima
Mizzima News
Mizzima News is a Burmese multimedia news organization. It was established in August 1998 by a group of Burmese journalists in exile. The International Press Institute awarded Mizzima News its Free Media Pioneer award in 2007.-Organization:...
, a Burmese news agency, 64% of those surveyed still intended to vote in the referendum. However, 71% did not know what the constitution
Constitution
A constitution is a set of fundamental principles or established precedents according to which a state or other organization is governed. These rules together make up, i.e. constitute, what the entity is...
was, and 52% had not yet decided whether they would vote to support or oppose it.
Aid distribution controversy
APAssociated Press
The Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists...
news stories stated that foreign aid provided to disaster victims was modified to make it look like it came from the military regime, and state-run television continuously ran images of Gen. Than Shwe
Than Shwe
Senior General Than Shwe is a Burmese military leader and politician who was chairman of the State Peace and Development Council from 1992 to 2011. During the period, he held key positions of power including commander-in-chief of the Myanmar Armed Forces and head of Union Solidarity and...
ceremonially handing out disaster relief.
More than a week after the disaster, only one out of 10 people who were homeless, injured or threatened by disease and hunger had received some kind of aid. More than two weeks later, relief had only reached 25 percent of people in need.
Nine days after the cyclone, the military government was still refusing to grant visas and access for aid workers into the area. The UN called for an air or sea corridor to be opened to channel large amounts of aid, and the HMS Westminster
HMS Westminster (F237)
HMS Westminster is a Type 23 frigate of the Royal Navy, and the second ship to bear the name. She was launched on 4 February 1992.Westminster was used for the interior shots in the 1997 James Bond film Tomorrow Never Dies in three different roles - as HMS Chester, HMS Devonshire and HMS Bedford...
was sent to the area, alongside French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
and United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
military assets.
Activists respond to the blockade of aid
A Facebook.com page called Support the Relief Efforts for Burma (Myanmar) Cyclone Disaster Victims with 10,000 members used its members to organize a Global Day Of Action for Burma on May 17, 2008. with the help of Burma Global Action NetworkBurma Global Action Network
The Burma Global Action Network, also known as BGAN, is a worldwide Internet-based organization at http://www.burma-network.com, its main website. It was founded by the "Support The Monks' Protest In Burma" group on Facebook.com with 400,000 members...
, Burma Campaign UK
Burma Campaign UK
Burma Campaign UK founded in 1991 is a London based Non Governmental Organisation that aims to achieve the 'restoration of human rights and democracy in Burma . BCUK campaigns on behalf of the Burmese pro-democracy movement and is the largest campaigning organisation for Burma in Europe...
, Canadian Friends of Burma
Canadian Friends of Burma
Canadian Friends of Burma is a federally incorporated, national non-governmental organization founded in 1991.- Objectives :...
, the US Campaign for Burma, Info Birmanie, as well as countless local partners, a Global Day of Action for Burma a call for Humanitarian Intervention was held on May 17, 2008, in cities worldwide. An apparent response to the junta's blockade of aid to the Cyclone Nargis victims, the international community called for a humanitarian intervention
Humanitarian intervention
Humanitarian intervention "refers to a state using military force against another state when the chief publicly declared aim of that military action is ending human-rights violations being perpetrated by the state against which it is directed."...
to get aid into the hardest hit areas of Burma.
Records
Nargis did set many records for its death toll and its damage, but in addition to this, when Nargis reached Category 4 on the SSHSSaffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale
The Saffir–Simpson Hurricane Scale , or the Saffir–Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale , classifies hurricanes — Western Hemisphere tropical cyclones that exceed the intensities of tropical depressions and tropical storms — into five categories distinguished by the intensities of their sustained winds...
on May 2, it marked the only time that a Category 4 storm had formed in this basin for 3 consecutive years in a row (starting with 2006's Mala
Cyclone Mala
Cyclone Mala, also known as Very Severe Cyclonic Storm Mala, was the strongest tropical cyclone of the 2006 North Indian Ocean cyclone season...
), going into 2007 with Sidr
Cyclone Sidr
Cyclone Sidr was the strongest named cyclone in the Bay of Bengal...
and Gonu
Cyclone Gonu
Cyclone Gonu is the strongest tropical cyclone on record in the Arabian Sea, and is also the strongest named cyclone in the northern Indian Ocean...
, and ending with Nargis.
The exact death toll from Nargis will likely never be known for sure, but it was most likely one of the deadliest tropical cyclones worldwide in recorded history.
Private relief
Several international organizations have been approved to work within the country (either before or after) or otherwise supporting relief efforts:- Adventist Development and Relief AgencyAdventist Development and Relief AgencyThe Adventist Development and Relief Agency International is a humanitarian agency operated by the Seventh-day Adventist Church for the purpose of providing individual and community development and disaster relief...
(ADRA) is assisting survivors in the hard-hit Irrawaddy Delta by providing food aid, access to water, medical assistance, kitchen kits and other ways to help. - AidmatrixAidmatrixThe Aidmatrix Foundation, Inc., is a U.S.-based 501 3 non-profit organization. It is a supply chain software developer for non-profits and those involved in the supply chain of humanitarian relief It is headquartered in Dallas, TX. The President and CEO is Gov...
(The Aidmatrix Foundation) is providing an online coordination portal connecting companies, groups and individuals wanting to offer products and services, financial contributions or wanting organize workplace giving efforts. - American Jewish World ServiceAmerican Jewish World ServiceAmerican Jewish World Service is a nonprofit international development organization, founded in 1985, which supports community-based organizations in 35 countries in the developing world and works to educate the American Jewish community about global justice...
is providing emergency support to local organizations that are responding to immediate needs. - Architecture for HumanityArchitecture for HumanityArchitecture for Humanity is a charitable organization that seeks architectural solutions to humanitarian crises and brings professional design services to communities in need...
is supporting long-term, sustainable reconstruction of housing, schools, clinics and other critical infrastructure. - Giving Children HopeGiving Children HopeGiving Children Hope , founded in 1993 by John Ditty and his wife, is a faith-based non-profit organization that works to alleviate poverty, both domestically and internationally, through disaster relief, health and community development, vocational training and advocacy...
has partners on the ground with which to send emergency supplies. - CARECARE (relief)CARE is a broad-spectrum secular relief, humanitarian, and development non-governmental organization fighting global poverty. It is non-political, non-sectarian and operates annually in more than 70 countries across the globe.One of the organization’s primary focuses in its fight to eradicate...
had offices in Yangon that were damaged. - Cesvi Operated in the Dedaye Township on over 40 villages. The project implemented were: Watsan, Shelter and NFI's distribution, Agriculture and Livelihood, Medical and Vector control Teams.
- Chevron CorporationChevron CorporationChevron Corporation is an American multinational energy corporation headquartered in San Ramon, California, United States and active in more than 180 countries. It is engaged in every aspect of the oil, gas, and geothermal energy industries, including exploration and production; refining,...
contributes US$2 million, of which half goes to The International Federation of the Red Cross and the other half will be allocated to four other organizations: the International Organization for Migration, Mercy Corps, Pact and Save the Children. - Church World ServiceChurch World ServiceFounded in 1946, Church World Service is a cooperative ministry of 37 Christian denominations and communions in the United States, providing sustainable self-help, development, disaster relief, and refugee assistance around the world...
is working with the Myanmar Council of Churches on a relief effort. - Direct Relief InternationalDirect Relief InternationalDirect Relief International is a nonprofit organization based in Santa Barbara, California that focuses on improving the quality of life by bringing critically needed medicines and supplies to local healthcare providers worldwide...
is working with several groups and organizations on the ground. - Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières has more than 200 aid workers on the ground and is responding.
- FireFly Mission is working with groups of Monks and other local NGOs on the ground. 100% of donations go to the victims directly. Firefly Mission believes in the principle of cultural relativismCultural relativismCultural relativism is the principle that an individual human's beliefs and activities should be understood by others in terms of that individual's own culture. This principle was established as axiomatic in anthropological research by Franz Boas in the first few decades of the 20th century and...
and do not support projects or organisations that may attempt to convert recipients or involve in activities that disrespects local cultural dynamics. - Foundation for the People of Burma provides direct assistance and is operating in Rangoon.
- GlobalGivingGlobalGivingGlobalGiving is an online marketplace that connects donors with grassroots projects in the developing world. Potential donors can browse and select from a wide offering of projects, organized by geography or by themes such as health care, the environment, and education...
has several targeted relief projects with grassroots organizations already in Burma, including International Medical Corps, CHF International, and IDE. - Hungarian Baptist Aid has joined to Baptist World Aid's Search, Rescue and Medical team. Also ready to launch a humanitarian relief and a special water purification and clean water packing (waterbags) unit.
- Hewlett Packard Foundation made the donation of US$250,000 via World Food Programme(WFP).
- Lutheran World ReliefLutheran World ReliefLutheran World Relief is an international nonprofit organization specializing in International Development and Disaster Relief. It was headquartered in New York, but has been based in Baltimore, Maryland since 1995....
is working through Church World ServiceChurch World ServiceFounded in 1946, Church World Service is a cooperative ministry of 37 Christian denominations and communions in the United States, providing sustainable self-help, development, disaster relief, and refugee assistance around the world...
. - LDS Church has delivered several tonnes of food, blankets, and other supplies
- LIRNEasia an Asia Pacific based telecom think tank made their donations through Lekadhikari of Amarapura nikaya, Sri Lanka
- Mingalar Foundation, a Burma-based NGO, is helping 37,000+ unreached people (about 7,000 families) in 9 affected areas everyday by distributing food, clean water, shelter and medicine and are accepting donations online with the help of Samui Island Hotels (USA/Thailand).
- Myanmar Red Cross is appealing for help and is on the ground.
- Proximity DesignsProximity DesignsProximity Designs is a not-for-profit social enterprise helping rural families out of poverty in Myanmar . They design and market a range of affordable products and services that poor farmers purchase and use to increase their incomes. The organization sells foot-powered irrigation pumps, water...
distributed US$17.9 million in aid to 2.49 million people following the storm and continues to help farming families rebuild through cash-for-work infrastructure projects in 214 villages throughout the Irrawaddy Delta. - Save the ChildrenSave the ChildrenSave the Children is an internationally active non-governmental organization that enforces children's rights, provides relief and helps support children in developing countries...
is "one of the largest non-governmental organizations at work in Myanmar" and has launched a full scale relief effort. - Sewa International has a network of volunteers and partner organizations active in the affected areas.
- ShelterBoxShelterBoxShelterBox is an international disaster relief charity that provides portable refuge to disaster victims around the world. Since 2001, it has worked in more than 45 countries, supplying aid to more than 600,000 people, and delivers emergency shelter, warmth and dignity to people affected by...
Australian and other Rotary InternationalRotary InternationalRotary International is an organization of service clubs known as Rotary Clubs located all over the world. The stated purpose of the organization is to bring together business and professional leaders to provide humanitarian service, encourage high ethical standards in all vocations, and help...
bodies are assisting. ShelterBoxes started arriving on May 10. - UNICEF is in country and has already provided relief supplies.
- Unitarian Universalist Service CommitteeUnitarian Universalist Service CommitteeThe Unitarian Universalist Service Committee is a non-profit, nonsectarian associate member organization of the Unitarian Universalist Association that works to provide disaster relief and promote human rights and social justice around the world....
has joined with the Unitarian Universalist AssociationUnitarian Universalist AssociationUnitarian Universalist Association , in full the Unitarian Universalist Association of Congregations in North America, is a liberal religious association of Unitarian Universalist congregations formed by the consolidation in 1961 of the American Unitarian Association and the Universalist Church of...
to launch a humanitarian relief fund to help survivors of the cyclone in Burma. The UUSC responds strategically to crises, especially when rights are threatened or when those in need are overlooked or neglected by traditional relief approaches. - World ReliefWorld ReliefWorld Relief is an international relief and development agency. Founded in 1944 as the humanitarian arm of the National Association of Evangelicals, World Relief offers assistance to victims of poverty, disease, hunger, war, disasters and persecution. Headquartered in Baltimore, Maryland, the...
is working with partners in the Global Relief Alliance to bring vital aid to thousands in desperate need in the aftermath of the storm. - World VisionWorld VisionWorld Vision, founded in the USA in 1950, is an evangelical relief and development organization whose stated goal is "to follow our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ in working with the poor and oppressed to promote human transformation, seek justice and bear witness to the good news of the Kingdom of...
has 600 staff on the ground. - Nargis Action Group Myanmar Egress is currently involved in disaster relief operations in 4 severely damaged townships in the Delta region. In so doing, Myanmar Egress has collaborated with some business companies that have been granted permission by the authorities to undertake in the rescue and relief work in several storm-hit areas in the delta. Myanmar Egress is engaging in all these disaster relief activities under the name of "Nargis Action Group Myanmar".
Impact on rice supplies
The Irrawaddy Delta is such a fertile area for riceRice
Rice is the seed of the monocot plants Oryza sativa or Oryza glaberrima . As a cereal grain, it is the most important staple food for a large part of the world's human population, especially in East Asia, Southeast Asia, South Asia, the Middle East, and the West Indies...
growing that it was known as the "rice bowl" of the British Empire
British Empire
The British Empire comprised the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom. It originated with the overseas colonies and trading posts established by England in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. At its height, it was the...
. Production was high enough that Burma could feed its citizens a high amount of rice (by the standards of Asia) with enough left over to sell on the market. Since Nargis hit right around harvest, a rice shortage and famine
Famine
A famine is a widespread scarcity of food, caused by several factors including crop failure, overpopulation, or government policies. This phenomenon is usually accompanied or followed by regional malnutrition, starvation, epidemic, and increased mortality. Every continent in the world has...
could result. The United Nations' Food and Agricultural Organization estimated that Nargis impacted 65% of the country's paddies
Paddy field
A paddy field is a flooded parcel of arable land used for growing rice and other semiaquatic crops. Paddy fields are a typical feature of rice farming in east, south and southeast Asia. Paddies can be built into steep hillsides as terraces and adjacent to depressed or steeply sloped features such...
. They feel that the situation would be "devastating... if the recent disaster results in severe rice shortages." This might exacerbate the crisis already occurring, but it could be partially alleviated if fall and late summer harvests were good. Burma had since appealed for aid to assist with getting the rice planted, as its farmers had a 40 to 50-day window of opportunity before the season's crop would be lost. The Myanmar government estimated losses of US$10 billion because of the cyclone.
Update
The UN Human Settlements Programme (UN-HABITAT) reported the extent of the international response to date as less than 7 percent of the actual needs for shelter after 15 months, although emergency shelter relief efforts were well funded. It estimated about 209,000 families had rebuilt their own homes alone over the past year. Out of US$150 million requested for shelter repair and reconstruction under the Post Nargis Recovery Plan (PONREPP) - a three-year recovery strategy running to 2011 - only US$50 million had been received.See also
- Geography of Burma
- List of tropical cyclones
- List of natural disasters by death toll
- Timeline of the 2008 North Indian Ocean cyclone seasonTimeline of the 2008 North Indian Ocean cyclone seasonThe 2008 North Indian Ocean cyclone season officially ran throughout the year during 2008, with the first depression forming on April 27. The timeline includes information that was not operationally released, meaning that information from post-storm reviews by the Joint Typhoon Warning Center , and...
- Cyclone GiriCyclone GiriCyclone Giri was a powerful tropical cyclone which caused catastrophic damage in parts of Myanmar in late October 2010...
- Cyclone MalaCyclone MalaCyclone Mala, also known as Very Severe Cyclonic Storm Mala, was the strongest tropical cyclone of the 2006 North Indian Ocean cyclone season...
- Burma–Thailand relationsBurma–Thailand relationsBodawpaya of Burma pursued his ambitious campaigns to expand his dominions. The Burmese-Siamese War was called “Nine Armies War” by Siam because the Burmese came in nine armies. The armies surged into Lanna and Northern Siam, yet the governor of Lampang managed to partly halt the Burmese, waiting...
Further reading
External links
- Damage information from BBC
- Google Map: Path of Cyclone Nargis
- Red Cross - Red Cross Movement response to Cyclone Nargis
- "Eyes of the Storm" Full episode of PBS documentary on orphans of Cyclone Nargis fending for themselves.