Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Yangon (Agenzia Fides) - There is still no exact calculation of the number of victims of this tragic month of May that has been lived by Asian populations, however it is certain that it will be a total of hundreds of thousands. In Myanmar, struck by Cyclone Nargis on May 2 and 3, there is an estimated number of 130,000 dead, a toll that could yet continue to grow. Chinese authorities have made a preliminary assessment resulting in 71,000 victims from the earthquake that hit the country last Monday, as well as 209,418 injured. Both are statistics that reach drastic proportions, considering that in Myanmar the number of people affected by the cyclone is 2 million, among whom are many who have lost their homes and are at risk for epidemics. It is such a grave situation that almost no attention was given to the earthquake that measure 5.9 on the Richter scale, hitting Indonesia two days ago. The earthquake that struck the Sichuan area in China registered 8 on the Richter scale.
The relief organizations immediately got to work, as well as the international community. However, among the worst problems that threatens both countries is the risk for the spread of diseases and epidemics. The reason for this risk, the World Health Organization says, is first of all from the lack of drinking water in the devastated areas and the decomposing bodies that are still caught up among the mud and rubble.
Cardinal Renato Martino, President of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace said in a press conference held in the Holy See Pavillion at the Water Expo in Zaragoza on “Water and sustained development,” that the catastrophes in China and Myanmar offer a dramatic demonstration of how drinking water is an essential good for life and for populations, as well as for health in general. Meanwhile, in China tremors continue, creating fear and confusion among the people. A preliminary estimate has calculated about 4 million houses destroyed by the earthquake.
In this difficult situation, the United Nations is also taking action. UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon travels today to Thailand in order to travel later, on the 22nd, to Yangon (Myanmar), to visit the areas most severely struck by Cyclone Nargis. On Sunday, May 25, Ban Ki-Moon will participate in a Conference for Donating Countries, in Myanmar, organized by ASEAN, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, in collaboration with the UN. Meanwhile, in Myanmar, there has been a three-day national mourning time declared, as in China, but with an additional three-minutes’ silence on a national level. In Yangon, it has begun to rain once again and in China, more rain is expected in the days to come, a forecast that is worrisome as it could produce delays in the aid efforts. (Mtp) (Agenzia Fides 21/05/2008 righe 35, parole 463)
