"You can give without loving but you can't love without giving."
Amy Carmichael
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"You can give without loving but you can't love without giving." Amy Carmichael |
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On the 2nd of May, Cyclone Nargis slammed into the Irrawaddy Delta region in Burma's south, initiating a scene of disaster unprecedented in Burma's history and more devastating than the 2004 Asian Tsunami. As a result, 2.4 million people in Burma are in urgent need of help today. People are hungry and thirsty. Many are now dying due to a lack of action. We have already learned that outrage isn't enough. Hand-wringing isn't enough. It is time for action. Please donate online today so that Partners can continue to take action by securing the needed supplies and funds to rescue these precious people.
Since the day after Cyclone Nargis hit the south-western coast of Burma and moved inland, Partners Relief & Development has been working literally day and night to do what we can to bring help and hope to the tens of thousands affected by this disaster. It is important to note that we have determined through our contacts on the ground in Burma that the most cost efficient way to get the needed supplies to the people who need them most is for the supplies to be purchased in Burma. This creates a significant cost savings by not transporting items across the border. Therefore, we have primarily sent funds in with and to trusted contacts who regularly report back to us with status reports.
Through your generous actions of love in response to our appeal so far, Partners has already been able to:
However the figures surrounding this disaster reinforce that the need is still great. While the government figures of 134,000 dead or missing and hard to comprehend, it's the United Nations estimates of as many as 2.4 million people severely affected by the disaster that highlights the scale of the tragedy, and the scale of the relief response needed. Whole villages have been destroyed, food, shelter, medicine and clean drinking water are in critically short supply, and the limited foreign aid workers allowed by the military government into Burma are being stretched to breaking point.
As our team begins to work on the ground, horrific first-hand accounts of Cyclone Nargis' impact are coming to light. One story was told by a 70-year-old lady, the oldest survivor in her village together with her husband. She clung to a bamboo tree for 7 hours before the water started going down again. Her arms were badly bruised from the fight of her life. After the water went down she was reunited with her husband who had been sharing his refuge in a tree with a cat, a dog, a rat and a poisonous snake that miraculously didn't bite any of them. He shared how whole families had been wiped out, including their pastor, his wife and children. Sadly, similar stories are recounted by thousands of survivors across the delta.
While the junta says things like, "We have already finished our first phase of emergency relief. We are going onto the second phase, the rebuilding stage," we know better. We must act quickly in providing aid, love and hope to the 2.4 million people desperately in need of immediate assistance. Please consider making a donation online today. Your act of love will make a difference in the lives of those who have lost nearly everything. You can stay up to date with the latest accounts, reflections and information regarding the crisis in Burma through our blog.
Thank you for standing with us to help save the lives of suffering people and demonstrate God's love to the victims of this disaster.
White paper:
The looming health
crisis in Burma
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