The death toll has reached 32,000 lives but this number is expected to go into the 50,000 mark for many are still missing in the collapsed rubble that used to be schools and buildings that have been found to have been made not to earthquake standards set by the government. The Chinese government has promised to look into the matters but they insist that the main priority today a week after the killer quake was still saving lives.
Rescue workers move from area to area searching through the rubble with family members wailing in the distance crying for their lost loved ones. As they fail to find anyone to rescue, they move on to the next location much to the discontent of the helpless parents and family members who continue to dig as they try to find the bodies of their loved ones whom they know are still deep in the ruins. Amidst warnings from the UN’s Health experts have had the government mobilize disinfection teams to the many affected areas to spray disinfectants all around the temporary housing areas due to fears of disease outbreaks. They have also advised the government to begin burying the dead for they are continuing to pile up in temporary morgues where they pose a serious health risk.
The government acted swiftly and the international community has taken the call for help but little can be done for the rescue efforts for the extreme length of time and aftershocks have further settled the already mangled buildings. The rescue effort is in the final stages and soon would be turned into a recovery operation to remove dead bodies for proper disposal which if left alone creates the perfect conditions for disease. The death toll is rising slowly as more and more bodies are being pulled. Last Saturday, 165 people were rescued alive including an elderly woman who raised the hopes of rescuers and citizens alike. But time is against any other survivor for the human body can only survive a few days without water and adding injuries to the mix, chances of survival are continuing to fade. The government has announced that the torch relay has been suspended for now and that an official three day mourning holiday is in effect to allow people to mourn for their lost loved ones.
Categories: Charities, Children, Disaster Relief, Environmental, News | Tags: Collapsed Buildings, Sichuan Earthquake
People of Myanmar are working to help their fellow countrymen in their efforts to help those most affected. Loading their family cars with all the stuff they can spare, they drive into the most affected areas to distribute blankets, bread and other items that the hardest hit areas need. People are expressing frustration at the government’s efforts, taking rotten stores for their warehouses and sending them out to the people with some saying the rice is rotten and the food is not even fit for dogs to eat.
True to this, many are crying out to the rest of the world for the government to allow aid agencies to assist in the relief efforts to alleviate the suffering the already impoverished people are in. Without shelter, they are forced to live in shabby tarpaulin structures that stand no protection form the severe weather that is threatening to hit soon. Aid agencies such as the UN, Doctors without Borders and many others are still out due to the government not granting visas to their personnel for them to properly enter the country. Aid workers in neighboring countries have walked through the border and are getting to the people but their small numbers is not sufficient to cover the wide area that was left devastated by the cyclone. The US has succeeded to convince the government to allow them to fly in supplies with two flights of aid into the capital. They are requesting for more flights and the US military has also expressed frustration at them not being allowed to enter territorial waters. The US fleet is in Thailand and they have the equipment to process water making it safe for drinking to avoid a possible outbreak of deadly disease.
The government insists they can handle the distribution effort but they are only doing so in areas near the capital and to the families of their soldiers who have not been too severely impacted by the storm. The people in rural areas are the ones who are at risk and without proper sanitation equipment and supplies the rotting bodies if left out in the open, would cause more deaths in the months to come.
Categories: Charities, Children, Disaster Relief, News | Tags: Aftermath, Death, Food, Medical Supplies, Myanmar, Shelter
Many have been left homeless and the country is in shambles, the Military Junta run country is facing a catastrophe with them denying entry to most of the aid agencies from the West. Reports are beginning to trickle in that hundreds of thousands are dead and hundreds of thousands are without shelter, safe drinking water and food. The government had not allowed Western aid agencies to enter the most affected areas and reporters from Western news agencies are being told to go out. The government insists they can handle the distribution of aid which they are allowing into the country through aid flights from the US which has offered millions in aid. Many other countries have shown willingness to give aid and send in their aid workers but the government is standing firm and is still not issuing visas to foreign aid people for a proper distribution and mobilization of aid for those who need it most.
The UN has appealed again and again along with many aid agencies from overseas for the government to open air and waterways for aid transportation. The UN has expressed discontent and aid agencies are frustrated for they still could not send in their people to handle the disaster. Reports are trickling in that dead bodies are everywhere, in canals and rice paddies rotting which gives more urgency to the need for proper aid along with people who are better equipped and experienced in handling such situations.
The poor country is in disarray and without proper medical facilities even for a developing country and with little support infrastructure to ferry and distribute aid, many more deaths would surely result in the aftermath of the cyclone. Various aid agencies are now accepting aid and donations in hopes of the border being opened soon to allow foreign aid such as food, water, temporary shelter and many other basic necessities to help the people of Myanmar.
Categories: Campaigns, Charities, Children, Disaster Relief, News, Organizations | Tags: Cyclone Nargis, Death, Foreign Aid, Myanmar, UN
The non-profit group has been running for quite sometime since the Tsunami’s of past and they have been filling the gap that left millions of people without clean drinking water. Founded by Curt and Cathy Bradner, an American couple who have given up everything to help the poor people of Myanmar (formerly Burma) many of whom lack basic necessities for safe and healthy living as most of Asia’s developing countries. Myanmar, being run by a Military Junta has been cut-off from the rest of the world by a military that reports directly to their generals. Suspicious of Westerners (mostly Americans) whom they distrust due to criticism they receive from most of the West. The couple have been working in the country for quite sometime and have bought Visas (long term) which is a rarity in the country. The tsunamis devastated much of the effected areas contaminating water tables, decaying animals and people who were left without proper burial have also contributed to the pollution which if not corrected, would kill just as many people that were killed during the disaster itself. Disease is the aftermath of any disaster and many of them are spread through contaminated drinking water. Many of the developing world’s diseases are water-borne and the couple who started it all has been working ever since to get safe and clean drinking water to all who needs it. They have focused their efforts on Myanmar due to the utter isolation of the country from the rest of the world.
They sold everything they had and made a promise to get clean and safe drinking water to all who need it. The tsunami ravaged Myanmar was a perfect area for them to operate in due to little or no contact with the outside world. They designed simple filters made of pottery and lined with coconut husks that are capable of filtering out almost all of the harmful bacteria and other contaminants that may be present in the water. It is estimated that every 15 seconds, a child dies form disease caused by drinking untreated or polluted water and they have been fighting ever since to bring their low cost water filters to poor people who do not have much cash to purchase commercial filtration systems. The coconut and earthen filter removes all but the tiniest contaminants with a colloidal silver solution mixed in to kill any deadly pathogens that may still be left in the water. They are then safe for all to drink, especially children whose small bodies can be easily ravaged by disease.
The country is so poor that most live in huts outside of the capital with not much in terms of modern infrastructures to support the country’s growing population. They need help in their projects and their children back home manage and maintain their web site which is one of the ways they earn money for their many projects. They have managed to produce filtration systems that run from car batteries and they are in urgent need of money for funding and other purposes for them to continue helping those who need it the most.
Categories: Campaigns, Charities, Disaster Relief, Environmental, News, Products, Websites | Tags: Children's mortality, Safe Drinking Water, Thirst Aid
Established in 1994 to address the alarming statistics that shows a yearly rate of abandoned pets to be at 6 to 8 million. Among those, around 3 to 4 million are euthanized due to the inability of shelters to take care of them due to restricted resources and funding. Rated a four-star charity by the Charity navigator, they have managed to save the lives of around 3.3 million pets spanning the species spectrum of animals that they send into adoption programs to get them the loving homes they deserve. These abandoned pets are a result of irresponsible pet ownership, some are abandoned due to financial problems, and some are left to fend for themselves, sometimes in appalling conditions. These animals got through health checks and are brought back to proper health according to pre-set standards. Animals are then checked for signs that may show if they are indeed probable candidates for adoption, animals with degenerative diseases and psychological issues are put down for apparent reasons. Their vision of a home for every pet might be too ambitious but they are getting things done and indeed saving lives of animals who would otherwise have to be put down. With the help of state and local authorities and funding from private individuals and businesses they continue on their loving work to get each and every animal a home that would give them the best possible care.
Categories: Animals, Campaigns, Charities, Volunteering, Wildlife | Tags: Animal Rights, Animal Shelters, Euthanasia, Mercy Killing, pets
