Myanmar Bishops' Plea

Archbishop Charles Bo of Yangon affirmed that the Church has been at the forefront of aid delivery since Cyclone Nargis struck Myanmar on May 2.

YANGON, Myanmar (Zenit) - A Myanmar archbishop is appealing for help so that the Church can continue offering aid to the cyclone-devastated nation, even as the ruling military junta is still barring most foreign relief workers.

Archbishop Charles Bo of Yangon affirmed that the Church has been at the forefront of aid delivery since Cyclone Nargis struck Myanmar on May 2.

The ruling military junta has made an international relief effort practically impossible, claiming for days that it had the operation under control.

State radio reports 78,000 people were killed and another 55,000 remain missing following the storm. But aid groups estimate that the real number is closer to 128,000, with another 2.5 million left homeless. As these people suffer starvation and the lack of shelter, relief organizations worry epidemics could bring many more deaths.

Archbishop Bo thanked the international community for their efforts, noting the world's concern "about the lack of adequate access and response."

He explained that the local Church's network has nevertheless "reached some of the remotest villages with the first delivery of aid."

The prelate continued: "We are indebted to the solidarity shown by the universal Church, service organizations and the committed professionals. Thank you.

"Many thousands look toward the Church for assistance in Myanmar. But sadly we are fast running out of resources. We are a poor Church. The violent cyclone damaged most of our churches including our cathedral, orphanages, clergy houses and convents and despite all this, the Church has been reaching out to the woeful cries of the thousands."

"Most of the pledges of support need to reach our people and children," Archbishop Bo said. "Myanmar should not once again be forgotten by the world. You know our peoples' pains and you sympathize with their brokenness, and I am confident that you will stand by the poor of Myanmar at this darkest hour of total shatteredness. We need very prompt, robust help to save lives."

Scaling up

Meanwhile, the network of Caritas Internationalis, which works with and through local Churches, announced today that it is scaling up its emergency response in Myanmar despite ongoing difficulties with access for international aid teams.

The international Caritas relief effort is now targeting over 60,000 people through local partners with food, temporary shelter, health care, and other aid items in four of the most seriously impacted areas.

"We are reaching 60,000 people in the worst affected areas of Pathein and Yangon, which were badly hit by the storm," said J.P. Nelson, coordinator of the Caritas Internationalis Emergency Response Support Team for Myanmar.

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Caritas aid is being distributed through small teams on the ground, who are sourcing food and other supplies locally. More than 400 volunteers have been trained in assessment, logistics, emergency response and accountability.

"It continues to be extremely difficult to operate in the affected areas," Nelson lamented. "The extensive networks we are able to draw on through religious and other organizations within Myanmar allows us access to many of the people who have received little assistance."

"The amount of aid we are getting through remains significant but is far outweighed by the enormous need that exists particularly in the Irrawaddy Delta region," he added. "We are still unable to conduct mass distributions and this is raising the growing threat of malnutrition and spreading of disease.

"We are very glad to see the government of Myanmar is allowing more Asian disaster relief experts in. Fortunately with the wide network of Catholic medical and community organizations throughout Asia and our strong record of working through recent disasters such as Cyclone Sidr and the Tsunami, we are hopeful that we can draw on this expertise to assist the many, many millions of people in Myanmar who require it."