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YANGON: Aid agencies Monday rushed emergency food and
water into Myanmar after tropical cyclone “Nargis” tore into the
southwest of the impoverished nation, killing more than 350 people
and leaving tens of thousands homeless.
Nargis left at least 351 dead
after making landfall at the weekend, packing winds of 190
kilometers (120 miles) per hour, wrecking thousands of buildings and
knocking out power lines, state media reported.
People of the main city, Yangon,
were busy Monday clearing roads blocked by fallen trees and queuing
to collect water from neighbors with private wells, as supplies were
cut by the storm.
“I haven’t seen anything like
this in my whole life. It will take at least a month to return to
normal,” a 70-year-old man told Agence France-Presse.
According to a preliminary
assessment by the International Federation of the Red Cross, several
coastal villages southwest of Yangon were also destroyed. The
villages in the Ayeyawaddy (Irrawaddy) delta bore the brunt of
Nargis, which came in from the Bay of Bengal and combined with a sea
surge.
State media said nearly 98,000
people were homeless on the delta’s Haing Gyi Island alone, which
is home to a navy base.
Red Cross Spokesman Michael
Annear said teams in Myanmar were distributing essential supplies
and would bring in more from Malaysia as soon as possible.
“We’re distributing supplies
for those who need shelter, plastic sheeting to cover roofs, water
purification tablets, we are currently procuring 5,000 liters of
water, cooking items, bednets, blankets and clothes for those in
most need,” he said.
“We went out as soon as
possible but there were problems with mobility due to a lot of
debris and power lines down. Authorities and the local community
have been clearing the road networks so mobility has increased
today.”
Hundreds of monks joined in
efforts by residents, police and troops to clear blocked roads.
“The government should do more
and we need emergency assistance. Water is the main need for us. I
haven’t taken a bath for three days,” a taxi driver said.
Annear said it would take days to
get a full picture of the extent of the devastation.
--AFP
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