It is difficult for one international aid worker to charge his cell phone
[him] moderator
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Myanmar/Cyclone Nargis: City on its knees, a voice from Yangon
Source: Missionary International Service News Agency (MISNA)
Date: 06 May 2008
‘The city is on its knees. Countless homes were destroyed or damaged. Scores of people were left homeless and are in makeshift shelters, mainly schools and government structures that are overcrowded. There is desperation and shock’, said to MISNA a source contacted in Yangon, who requested anonymity. ‘There is no electricity, power lines were uprooted by the cyclone and phone lines are down. But we are mainly concerned about water: the tubes broke, interrupting the flow and rising concerns that the water may be polluted’, said the source, before the line dropped. The primary emergency is assisting the displaced, wounded and ill. ‘Our medical facilities, in which we were following 8,000 HIV positive patients, were immediately converted to treat the injured, though a large part of our medical supplies were lost and the power shortage, which does not even allow us to charge our mobile phones, and lack of drinking water make everything even more difficult’, said to MISNA Sergio Cecchini of Doctors Without Borders’ (MSF), who is in contact with the workers of the aid organisation present in Myanmar, where MSF is active since 1992. Cecchini explained that it is difficult to assess the overall situation in Yangon and more so outside the city, due to disrupted communications, scarce access to information and circulation restrictions aid workers have always faced in the nation. ‘The situation is critical and the doctors are also serious concerned about the thousands of patients on antiretroviral treatment, which must be administered regularly and under medical control, that now are without assistance and most probably without their medicines; they risk being twice victims of the cyclone. Another concern is the stagnant flood waters in a high-risk area for malaria’, he concludes.
