Thursday, January 12, 2012
Wednesday, January 11, 2012
Tuesday, January 10, 2012
Nargis - A year on
On the evening of may 2nd 2008, Cyclone Nargis, one of the deadliest storms in recorded history swept through the Irrawaddy Delta, Myanmar, leaving 140,000 people dead or missing.
With winds reaching almost 200km p/hr, the cyclone caused a level of destruction similar to the worst hit areas of the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami. 2.4 million people were severely affected and around 800,000 houses were damaged or destroyed. Entire villages were wiped out overnight along with people's main means of making a living - Nargis killed 75% of the livestock, sank half the fishing fleet and salted a million acres of rice paddies with its seawater surges.
Despite the massive scale of the catastrophe, the country's brutal military regime blocked access to humanitarian aid in the crucial stages of the aftermath. Even months on, only limited humanitarian access and resources were allowed into the Delta. These Images are taken one year on. Some of the lucky ones are re-building, but most are still left homeless, with two or three tarpaulins and scrap wood as a house.
Greeted with only smiles and hospitality, my time in the delta, although sad, was the most touching and beautiful experience of my two years in Asia.
With winds reaching almost 200km p/hr, the cyclone caused a level of destruction similar to the worst hit areas of the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami. 2.4 million people were severely affected and around 800,000 houses were damaged or destroyed. Entire villages were wiped out overnight along with people's main means of making a living - Nargis killed 75% of the livestock, sank half the fishing fleet and salted a million acres of rice paddies with its seawater surges.
Despite the massive scale of the catastrophe, the country's brutal military regime blocked access to humanitarian aid in the crucial stages of the aftermath. Even months on, only limited humanitarian access and resources were allowed into the Delta. These Images are taken one year on. Some of the lucky ones are re-building, but most are still left homeless, with two or three tarpaulins and scrap wood as a house.
Greeted with only smiles and hospitality, my time in the delta, although sad, was the most touching and beautiful experience of my two years in Asia.
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