Reflections from Myanmar by Amjad Mohamed-Saleem.

There is still an eerie calm in Yangon. Whilst the military have almost completed clearing the debris, the residents go about their daily business still evidently shell shocked over the worst natural disaster to hit Myanmar in 80 years.

For some of us who have been involved in other natural disasters, it is yet again a humbling reminder of mankind’s frailty in the face of nature and the Creator. What hit us when our team landed in Yangon, flying over the countryside, was a scene of total devastation, reminiscent of the tsunami that had struck 4 years ago, trees of 8 ft diameter levelled to the ground in the shape of a kneeling victim.

As in most other disasters, the NGOs gather around with the UN to form their cluster meetings and Yangon is no different, except for one thing, the cluster meetings are held largely in a vacuum with very little sense of what is happening on the ground. The frustration is evident in every one’s faces as we have little data- damage to power lines, phone lines and basic infrastructure mean that communication is extremely difficult. It has become a game to see how alternatives can be used to send out information.

Despite these difficulties, we were able to visit one or two of the villages struck by the cyclone. The appalling living conditions of those who had survived were indescribable. In the village of Kungyangon, in an almost catatonic state, people were seen to be sifting through the destroyed remains of their homes. The detritus of disaster occasionally offering up possessions like mangled bicycles or touching mementoes of a life before the horror swept through the village. All too often though, it yielded the decomposing remains of those who were not quick enough to escape the deluge.

The acrid smell of death permeated the atmosphere. There were bloated dead bodies still floating and lying in the paddy fields, which are also used by people for their drinking and bathing since there is no other source.

Yet, despite the appalling sights we encounter, we are still met with the warmth and welcoming faces of the people as they realise that you are there to help.

In the aftermath of Cyclone Nargis, Muslim Aid launched a $US2 Million appeal which has so far seen the distribution of dry rations, medicine and water purification through local partners. The local partners are being trained by Muslim Aid staff to carry out water purification and to take this into the worst affected areas.

There is much to be done as very little aid has got through so far. Essential needs are still not being met and with the threat of water borne diseases still dangerously close, the crisis is just beginning.

There is much to be done. After taking in the initial shock of how powerful the cyclone must have been to leave so much destruction, one begins to look around and take note of some of the less apparent scars – those which will take longer to heal. Cities can always be rebuilt but the wounds of the hearts and mind will take longer. It is plain that these wounds are deep. One of the striking factors of this cyclone, like the earthquake in China, has been the number of children who have died.

In the coming months there will be a huge need for the relief efforts to be stepped up. For now the people are in shock and will need to rely on the generosity and goodwill of their neighbours, goodwill that has remained despite the various obstacles placed thus far. But this goodwill is as exhaustible as the supplies which are needed for the survivors to overcome the disaster and move on with their lives. Eventually people will have to begin looking after their own families and homes will have to be rebuilt. The worry for many people is that when the world inevitably moves on to the next newsworthy story the donations too will stop.