Cyclone Crisis in Myanmar

Photo © 2008 Agence France-Presse.

I’m holding the UNIFEM post I planned for today, to talk instead about the crisis in Myanmar after a cyclone killed more than 10,000 at least 22,000 more than 28,000 people over the weekend. I wrote about Burma (also known as Myanmar by its military dictatorship) in one of my first posts for this blog. And now its citizens are suffering even more in this frightening natural disaster. Mercy Corps estimates several hundred thousand people have been left homeless. They note, “United Nations officials say hundreds of thousands are without shelter or drinking water. . . . Agence France-Presse reported Monday that buildings were flattened, roads were blocked, trees were uprooted, and water supplies disrupted in Yangon, the country's main city. Winds topped 120 miles per hour.”

I’m going to dig into the blog’s Charity Piggy Bank and make a contribution to Mercy Corp’s dedicated Myanmar Cyclone Fund. Another good option is World Vision, which was on-ground in Burma before the cyclone and has already established a relationship with the government in a tricky political situation.

Today's mitzvah: Consider making a contribution to aid cyclone victims in Burma (aka Myanmar), a country already in crisis. No cash? The Hunger Site sends a portion of your free click-to-give contributions to Mercy Corps.

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