How To Help Myanmar

After the recent cyclone in Myanmar/Burma, there began the standard post-natural disaster political posturing where the US government tries to offer as little aid as possible, while APPEARING to offer much aid.  In addition, in this instance, much of the aid offered by the international community was either rejected by the Burmese government or is suspected of being diverted away from those in need by that same government.

Recently I received an email from the former director of the Yuba Watershed Institute, an organization to which I belong.  This woman had some personal contacts in the region, and she had asked her contacts for organizations already inside Myanmar that are doing relief/cyclone assistance work there.  Here is the message she received back:

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Dear friends and family,Many friends and associates have inquired from us on how they can help in Burma. As you probably know about the cyclone that hit Burma and cause widespread destruction and death. Many people have been left homeless and need aid immediately.The Burma government has not been co-operating with international aid agencies, not letting their aid into Burma and not letting their members into Burma. Here in Thailand, supplies are stuck at the international airport. Many of their experts and personal are not getting visas from the Burma government. It’s become a very frustrating situation for people who are concerned about the welfare of people in Burma. From our trips to Burma, we have become very close to the people of Burma. They deserve better than this. They need to know that they have been not totally forgotten by the world community.We know that you are concerned too. The best help now is to support the organizations that are established in Burma that can use money to buy supplies locally to immediately give relief to people. When you think about it, probably 50 or 60 bucks can save a life. We are talking about basic necessities like rice, clean water etc. From our research, talking to NGOs and other friends who have connection to Burma. These are 3 organizations that are established and doing relief work right now and need money to continue. If we have more information on the relief work in Burma, we will let you know. 1. http://www.foundationburma.org Local NGO, got information from friend who has contact in Burma, they are working on the ground with local volunteers. They are busy setting up shelter stations for refugees. 2. http://www.pactworld.org/cs/asia/myanmar This is also information provided from other international NGO that currently working in Burma, Pact Myanmar is an International NGO working in Burma since 1994. It is one of the biggest INGO in Burma. They have 430 staff and 400,000 beneficiary in the Irrawaddy division (the most affected division). They are currently working in 550 Villages of Irrawaddy division. Total program participant of Pact Myanmar is 400,000 and total staff nation wide is1300 3. http://www.shalommyanmar.org/index.htm This is a direct recommended from our close friend who is working in Aid agency that has a local office in Burma. This is a local NGO that is acting as a clearing house for other NGOs. (It’s not a religious organization.)

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Then she got another email from someone else, adding:

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CNN is now reporting that up to 100,000 people have died from the cyclone that hit Burma. The scale of this disaster is hard to even imagine, and relief is urgently needed. So we wanted to pass along this email from our friends at Avaaz.org (the global online progressive group) letting you know how you can help.

-Eli

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Dear friends, Burma has been devastated by a cyclone—and by the military junta’s failure to help its people cope. Help raise relief funds for distribution by Burma’s monks:  CLICK TO DONATE! In the wake of a massive cyclone, tens of thousands of Burmese are dead. More than 40,000 are missing. A million are homeless.  But what’s happening in Burma is not just a natural disaster—it’s also a catastrophe of bad leadership.  Burma’s brutal and corrupt military junta failed to warn the people, failed to evacuate any areas, and suppressed freedom of communication so that Burmese people didn’t know the storm was coming when the rest of the world did. Now the government is failing to respond to the disaster and obstructing international aid organizations.  Humanitarian relief is urgently needed, but Burma’s government could easily delay, divert or misuse any aid. Today the International Burmese Monks Organization, including many leaders of the democracy protests last fall, launched a new effort to provide relief through Burma’s powerful grass roots network of monasteries—the most trusted institutions in the country and currently the only source of housing and support in many devastated communities. Click below to help the Burmese people with a donation and see a video appeal to Avaaz from a leader of the monks:  https://secure.avaaz.org/en/burma_cyclone/77.php  Giving to the monks is a smart, fast way to get aid directly to Burma’s people. Governments and international aid organizations are important, but face challenges—they may not be allowed into Burma, or they may be forced to provide aid according to the junta’s rules. And most will have to spend large amounts of money just setting up operations in the country. The monks are already on the front lines of the aid effort—housing, feeding, and supporting the victims of the cyclone since the day it struck.The International Burmese Monks Organization will send money directly to each monastery through their own networks, bypassing regime controls.  Last year, more than 800,000 of us around the world stood with the Burmese people as they rose up against the military dictatorship. The government lost no time then in dispatching its armies to ruthlessly crush the nonviolent democracy movement—but now, as tens of thousands die, the junta’s response is slow and threatens to divert precious aid into the corrupt regime’s pockets.  The monks are unlikely to receive aid from governments or large humanitarian organizations, but they have a stronger presence and trust among the Burmese people than both. If we all chip in a little bit, we can help them to make a big difference.  Click here to donate:  https://secure.avaaz.org/en/burma_cyclone/77.php  With hope,  Ricken, Ben, Graziela, Paul, Iain, Veronique, Pascal, Galit and the whole Avaaz team  PS: Here are some links to more information:  For more information about Avaaz’s work to support the Burmese people, click here:http://www.avaaz.org/en/burma_report_back/  For more information about the cyclone, the humanitarian crisis, and the political dimension, see these articles:  New York Times: “A Challenge Getting Relief to Myanmar’s Remote Areas.” 7 May 2008.  BBC: “Will Burma’s leaders let aid in?” 6 May 2008.  India’s Economic Times: Indian meteorological department advised junta 48 hours in advance, 6 May 2008.  BBC: “Disaster tests Burma’s junta.” 5 May 2008  Times Online: “Aid workers fear Burma cyclone deaths will top 50,000.” 6 May 2008.  _________    ABOUT AVAAZ  Avaaz.org is an independent, not-for-profit global campaigning organization that works to ensure that the views and values of the world’s people inform global decision-making. (Avaaz means “voice” in many languages.) Avaaz receives no money from governments or corporations, and is staffed by a global team based in London, Rio de Janeiro, New York, Paris, Washington DC, and Geneva.

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I encourage anyone who wants to donate to help the victims of the cyclone, to donate through one of these organizations, in the hope that the aid will actually make it to those in need, sidestepping the politics on both ends.