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Cyclone Nargis and the subsequent tidal surge hit Myanmar as
families slept on Saturday morning May 3rd, 2008. The
cyclone devastated the Burmese delta region with a toll that the
top U.S. diplomat in Myanmar says could rise to 100,000 without
aid. A U.N. official in Bangkok has stated “thousands of bodies”
were floating in nearly 2,000 square miles of the flooded delta.
For those who survived, close to 1.9 million are displaced and
need food, water, shelter, and medical supplies.
In spite of these hardships, the Burmese people have embraced
myanma yoeya and its rich Buddhist tradition of providing
disaster relief through monasteries and local community
networks. Their method is simple. The Burmese people are
procuring essential supplies locally and distributing them
through well-established grass-roots networks. They are also
supporting Buddhist monasteries that are providing food, clean
water, shelter and clothing to the survivors. There is a need to
continue and strengthen these traditional disaster relief
efforts to complement and add to the ongoing international
relief efforts. |
Uplift International responded to the disaster:
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Due to
many severely complicating factors related to logistics and
access, Uplift did not conduct an emergency medical relief
airlift. Instead Uplift staff traveled to Myanmar and procured food, water, clothing, and
life-saving supplies locally. They were distributed in
partnership with trusted Buddhist monasteries and established local networks.
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Prices of basic
commodities soared in the wake of the disaster,
compounding the economic plight of those who already live in
poverty. Local procurement helped stimulate the local
economy while directly benefiting the Burmese people.
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