BURMA CYCLONE CRISIS

The Burma cyclone disaster just keeps getting worse.

 

What started as a natural catastrophe quickly turned into a humanitarian crisis. 

 

David Milliband – a ‘natural disaster’ is turning into a ‘humanitarian catastrophe of epic proportions’.

 

If small steps had been taken – and if the Burmese government were a bit more flexible – then this crisis could have been stemmed.  If:

 

• The Burmese government had made it easier for aid workers and US military to enter the country
• The Burmese army had targeted their support to the worst hit areas – instead of just around the capital
• The government had speeded up aid processes once it became clear how the crisis was escalating and how many people were dying in the aftermath – due to lack of water and food

 

And now the government could be doing more to help adequately manage the dead bodies – to prevent spread of infection among other things.

 

When will they learn?