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“No man is an island . . . any man’s death diminishes me because I am involved with mankind.” – John Donne, 1572 – 1631

Two viciously powerful disasters hit Asia this May. Myanmar (Burma)(May 02), which centered at the southern coast of Yangon (Rangoon)Sichuan province of China. In both disasters, official reports account soaring numbers of people found dead or missing. Victims of Nargis did not receive the immediate aid aimed by the United Nations and other surrounding countries as the junta-led government prevents aids from coming in, leaving the Burmese bereft of any help from the outside world. (Best viewed using internet explorer, here’s a panorama of the bustling city of Yangon.)

Recently, though, some aid has reached Myanmar’s shores after some harrowing negotiations by the United Nations and Singapore; Great Britain is also doing efforts on addressing the problem of sending help efficiently to Myanmar. But the junta refuses to “allow foreign aid workers,” which “have left most of the delta’s survivors living in miserable conditions without food or clean water. The government’s
efforts have been criticized as woefully slow.”

Meanwhile, another storm heads towards the area hit by the cyclone. Foreign aid workers are getting more worried that help would not reach the victims on time as the storm will worsen what is already in a state of utter ‘confusion’ despite government negotiations.

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China, on the other hand, was hit twice by deadly tremors ranging from a magnitude 6 to 7.9 almost on the same spot at varying depths of 10 and 19 km in a span of 15 minutes (see report from US Geological Survey). (On the same USGS report, scrolling down, the Guam area also experienced intense
tremors last May 09.)

As in Myanmar, most of the victims in China are children, who were in school attending classes when the school building and other structures around it collapsed. But unlike, Myanmar, the Chinese government’s response was efficient despite inaccessibility to the quake-hit province of Sichuan. And help from within overflows; the Chinese are back on their feet a day after the quake.

We just cannot dismiss the fact that disasters of this magnitude could reach home. Somehow, it already did. Just yesterday (May 14), Luzon was hit by a 5.3 magnitude quake with a depth of 56.2 km. The shake reached 85 km south south-east of Ilagan, 175 km north-east of Cabanatuan, 175 km east of Baguio, and 245 km north-east of Manila. In the news on television last night, some concerned citizens are already in panic mode. And since no one can yet predict where the next disaster will hit nor can anyone stop it from taking place, the best we can do is be ready. Panic is never an option.

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Disaster preparedness is of topmost concern during these times. The basics are: always make sure that your cell phones are fully charged, there is enough food stored in the cupboards, first-aid kits are also set, transistor radios are operational, and flash lights are equipped with good batteries. A quick pack-and-go routine for disaster is also a great help; it is important to identify which things to pack and where to get them during a disaster. Know where to go (a safe route, a safe place) when disaster hits.

To send help to victims in Myanmar, here are some organizations to consider: (1) Unicef; (2) FoundationBurma; (3) OneWorld.

Oh, yes, pray.