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MAF
Stands Ready to Help in Myanmar;
Awaiting Government Visas and Permits
May 8, 2008
(UPDATE)
Brad
Hazlett has been working tirelessly for days to get visas in
Bangkok for Myanmar/Burma.
Despite
the enormity of the need, the government is not issuing NGO type
visas at the moment. There is such great need, but the Government
just wants money and supplies and not people at the moment.
It looks
like things will have to get even worse before this door opens.
Please pray that it opens and we are granted permissions and visas
soon.
Current
status:
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We have a Caravan
float plane and staff ready to deploy from Papua, Indonesia.
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We have mechanics
ready to go to Bangladesh to complete the inspection on the
float plane so that aircraft can deploy, if needed.
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Pilot Chad Tilley
and Engineer Pinto from the Bangladesh programme will try to get
visas for Myanmar/Burma in Dhaka, Bangladesh, tomorrow.
Current
reports have the death toll rising above the 22,000 that we
mentioned yesterday. The needs are enormous. The area affected is
much like
southern Bangladesh with a vast network of rivers.
The floatplane
would be a good tool to help many people and organizations to
deliver aid.
The BBC
reports, “In Bogalay, the bodies of people killed by the storm
"drifted into the sea with the tide, and are now resurfacing on the
shore," a survivor who has been travelling in the region told the
BBC's Burmese service. The storm was followed by tidal waves and
ships are marooned.
You can
see the boats near the main market. Ninety percent of Bogalay town
is destroyed. Rotting bodies were also floating in Hlaing river, in
a slightly less affected area east of Rangoon, the survivor said.
Other accounts have spoken of traumatized survivors wading through
the floodwaters.
Survivors face poor sanitation and a lack of access to clean water.
Flooding could lead to outbreaks of mosquito-borne malaria and
dengue fever, while water-borne diseases such as cholera and
dysentery are also a threat.”
May 7, 2008
MAF is making every effort to assist in disaster recovery
efforts in the Southeast Asia nation of Myanmar, which was struck by
Cyclone Nargis on May 3.
The US top diplomat has suggested that as many as 100,000 may be dead,
while more than 41,000 are reported missing.
MAF staff are in place and on standby, awaiting visas and permits that
would allow them to enter the country.
Please visit this web page for the latest updates on MAF activities in
Myanmar. And please pray for the people of Myanmar and for the safety
and the work of MAF staff.
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