The power of humanity

Heroes in the face of suffering

The whole world was horrified when Cyclone Nargis devastated large parts of Myanmar
in May.
Currently, figures estimate that more than 78,000 people were killed and another 56,000 are missing as a result of the cyclone. But time will almost certainly show the figures to be much higher than this. According to the UN, around 2.4 million people were affected by the cyclone.
It’s hard to describe the full extent of the suffering. Bridget Gardner, a Red Cross official who visited the devastated town of Labutta, said that: “I have been here before, but now with the extent of the damage and the crowds of displaced people, it is a different place.” She described how some people had only survived by hanging on to the trees. Many had the top layer of their skin ‘sand blasted’ off by the wind and desperately needed medical aid.
Rapid response
In this desperate situation, while some aid agencies struggled to get into Myanmar, the Red Cross had one big advantage – our staff and volunteers were already there, on the ground.
The Myanmar Red Cross got to work as soon as the cyclone struck to relieve the suffering of those whose lives had been torn apart. They distributed life-saving items such as clean drinking water, water purification tablets, plastic tarpaulins and hygiene kits. They also distributed insecticide-treated beds to help prevent malaria.
Selfless service
Bridget Gardner was amazed by the selflessness of local Red Cross volunteers. Many of them suffered terribly themselves in the disaster. Some lost relatives when the cyclone struck. Yet they turned out to help their fellow-countrymen, often working very long hours and in the face of great difficulty to get the supplies to where they were needed most.
“I spoke to a volunteer in his fifties who had lost everything and was living in a hospital,” Bridget remembers. “But he was still working for the Red Cross because he considers it his duty. These volunteers are true humanitarian heroes.”
Generous support
The Red Cross response from around the world was equally remarkable. Red Cross teams from France, Denmark, Japan and a number of other countries went to help provide healthcare, shelter, water and sanitation. British Red Cross supplies such as jerry cans and blankets that were stored in Kuala Lumpur were released to be transported to the disaster zone.
Here in the UK, supporters responded generously to an appeal to support the worldwide Red Cross relief effort. If you supported this appeal, please accept our thanks, because your help really did get through to those in desperate need. Now the work goes on to help those affected by the cyclone to rebuild their homes and their lives.

http://www.redcross.org.uk/TLC.asp?id=80839