'It's difficult in there. It's like walking a tightrope'

Tim Costello describes the guilt he felt coming home,
and the devastation he left behind in Burma.
Photo: Melanie Faith Dove

TIM Costello has dealt with devastation before. Too many times, he has stood among the ruins of people's homes and lives, among scores of bodies rotting in the streets.

But in Burma, while human suffering in the wake of cyclone Nargis was all around, it was a sense of frustration at being unable to help, at being hampered at every turn in trying to bring in aid, that overwhelmed the World Vision Australia chief.

In his first in-depth interview since returning to Melbourne on Saturday, Mr Costello broke down yesterday as he detailed the infuriating hurdles he faced in a country that seemed more focused on its elections than saving its people's lives.

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Cowra aid for Burma

Cowra Rotarians are rallying behind a project actually able to enter and deliver aid to the devastated country of Myanmar.

Recent Cyclone Nargis that affected the Irrawaddy Delta in Myanmar (Burma) has left unbelievable destruction in the country and over one million people without housing.

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News Update -May(17)

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U.N. envoy to plead with Burma over aid

RANGOON, Burma (AP) — A top U.N envoy headed for Burma, also known as Myanmar, on Sunday to plead with the junta to accept more international aid for its cyclone survivors, amid mounting fears of starvation deaths, especially among children.

John Holmes, undersecretary-general for humanitarian affairs, was scheduled to arrive late Sunday and hoped to meet with junta leaders, said Amanda Pitt, a United Nations spokeswoman in Bangkok, Thailand.

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Burma - Cyclone Nargis

Slowly, much too slowly, it seems to be dawning on the Burmese junta that they must accept outside help to mount an effective relief effort and to save the lives of many thousands of people. We are not going to see an international relief effort on the scale of that following the Asian tsunami but maybe things are starting to move in the right direction. A breakthrough is seen as near says a report today from Reuters.

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Cyclone island of death

May 17 - More than half the population and all but three houses destroyed by cyclone on Burmese island village.

The Burmese island of Higyi, has lost at least 1,600 of its 3,000 inhabitants killed to Cyclone Nargis, according to local rescuers. The national toll of dead and missing has soared above 133,000 people, making it one of the most devastating ever to hit Asia.

PM condemns Myanmar's cyclone response

LONDON (Reuters) - Prime Minister Gordon Brown condemned Myanmar for not allowing the international community to supply aid to its cyclone victims and said the junta must be held accountable for this "inhuman" response.

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News Update -May (16)

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Foreign relief supplies still arriving in Myanmar, but kept waiting

Yangon - Myanmar is using helicopters, cars and trucks and small boats to transport relief supplies donated by foreign countries to the cyclone-ravaged Irrwaddy delta region, state-run newspapers in Yangon reported Saturday. Meanwhile there was no official word if authorities would allow a French warship with 1,500 tons of relief supplies, including medicine and food, waiting in international waters off the coast, to deliver the supplies.

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Burma Takes Diplomats on Tour of Cyclone-Ravaged Areas

Diplomats went on a controlled tour of Burma's storm-ravaged Irrawaddy delta Saturday following international complaints the ruling military is blocking aid groups from distributing relief supplies.

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Military blocks access to Myanmar's worst hit areas

YANGON, Myanmar - Inside cyclone-devastated Myanmar the signs are clear the country's military regime doesn't want the world to know what's happening.

The military has set up road blocks at nearly every road leading into areas hit hardest by cyclone Nargis on May 3 - particularly the south where homes and crops in an area bigger than New Brunswick have been decimated.

For foreign-aid workers the real challenge is that they still don't know how bad the situation is. The government refuses to allow anyone but Burmese nationals into the worst areas.

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French Navy Ship Nears Burma, Still Awaiting Permission to Land 1,500 Tons of Aid

RANGOON, Burma — A French navy ship approached Burma's, also known as Myanmar, cyclone-devastated Irrawaddy delta Saturday, but was still awaiting permission from the ruling military regime to dock and unload 1,500 tons of aid.
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No Time to Lose: Ban to General Assembly

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Friday told the UN General Assembly there is "no time to lose" in Burma because the country faces an imminent outbreak of infectious diseases because of the slow relief and rescue operation in the Irrawaddy Delta which was virtually devastated by Cyclone Nargis.

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Red Cross says clean water most urgent need for Myanmar cyclone victims

GENEVA — The International Red Cross says lack of clean water is threatening to become the biggest killer in cyclone-hit Myanmar in the coming days.

Spokesman Thomas Gurtner says hundreds of thousands of cyclone victims must get clean water quickly or risk falling victim to dysentery and other diseases.
Gurtner says food is also an urgent priority.But he notes that it can take weeks to die of starvation, while acute diarrhea can kill within three days.

If Humanitarian Intervention Happens, Then What?

As calls for humanitarian intervention in Burma widen and gain momentum, analysts are asking, what would the country’s armed forces do—fight or take off their uniforms?British Prime Minister Gordon Brown said in London on Thursday: "We will stop at nothing in trying to pressure the regime into doing what any regime should have done long ago. And there should be nothing, nothing that stops that aid getting to the people of the country now.”

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Who is behind the Cyclone?

Dear All,

I believed Burma regime has secret plan around irrawaddy delta. The Cyclone is much more than natural disaster there must have some other political hidden agenda.

1) Regime close its door to irrawaddy, they did not even open for local civilians.
2) Banned cameras, camcorders
3) No foreign Aid workers are allowed. Why?

1) Their Navy based at Haing Gyi Island was destroyed. They knew Cyclone is coming but why they do not removed their Navy ships? Is there any very important project to protect that area? Is that the reason why they can not remove their ships and soldiers?

2) According to some sources, after the cyclone Chinese military officials came to see immediately the area, what do they have there? What kind of operation do they have there?

3) SPDC official said to Thai PM they deployed 4 regional based soldiers in that area, but why people get very little or no help at all from them?

4) They must have some hidden agenda that can harm the local community and as well as the international community.

Burma needs UN troops right now.

Maung Myo

Saving Burma

There is only one major road leading to Naypyidaw. Nearly three years ago, when Burma's new capital was carved out of scrubland, the country's ruling military junta gave no reason for its sudden abandonment of the bustling city of Rangoon. Then, shortly after thousands of civil servants were forced to move to an isolated construction site in the middle of nowhere, a secret government document leaked to local journalists.

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PM Thein Sein wrong man for handling disasters?

Gen Thein Sein, who was appointed prime minister last year, is facing his first crucial test as a leader and so far is faring badly just as he did when he was the regional commander in Kengtung, eastern Shan State, from 1996-2001, according to his critics there.

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Group founded by George Clooney, other stars donates $250,000 for Myanmar cyclone victims

NEW YORK: The humanitarian organization founded by actor George Clooney and other "Ocean's Thirteen" stars has donated US$250,000 to help children and families in Myanmar affected by Cyclone Nargis.

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Judgment Day: Should world let massive deaths by man made disaster?

One has to wake up from the nightmare of allowing Burma's brutal regime's final episode of ignoring its own people dying in post cyclone Nargis. Having an ineffective UN good office and international disagreement over Burma's latest political development, the world indeed witnesses with its own eyes the brutal generals' heartless decision over storm survivors. Now the World Theater shows "We don't care for Burmese people who are suffering and dying, our intention is to approve our sham referendum by all means."

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