Subscribe to Print Edition | Sun., May 11, 2008 Iyyar 6, 5768 | | Israel Time: 19:08 (EST+7) web haaretz.com   Back to Homepage Rosner's Domain Diplomacy Defense Jewish World Opinion National Print Edition Advertising Books Arts & Leisure Business Real Estate Easy Start Travel Week's End Anglo File

A man standing at a broken pier after the devastating cyclone in Myanmar on Wednesday. (AP) Last update - 14:28 07/05/2008 Israel sends aid to Myanmar as cyclone death toll surpasses 22,000 By Barak Ravid, Haaretz Correspondent and The Associated Press Tags: Israel, Myanmar, cyclone  The Foreign Ministry is sending $100,000 in initial emergency food and medical supplies to survivors of the deadly cyclone that battered Myanmar over the weekend, killing over 22,000 people. The Israeli aid is being sent in coordination with the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee. A United Nations official declared Myanmar's cyclone-stricken Irrawaddy delta a "major, major disaster" Wednesday with corpses floating in flooded areas and enormous challenges in getting aid to the neediest victims. Advertisement International aid began trickling into military-ruled Myanmar, but much of the Irrawaddy delta, where most of the 22,464 reported victims perished, has remained cut off since Cyclone Nargis hit early Saturday. The Foreign ministry is planning to organize a larger aid shipment in the next few days, and is helping the members of aid teams for several Israeli non-governmental organizations obtain visas to enter Myanmar. In addition, the ministry has made contact with eight of the estimated 10 Israelis who were in Myanmar when the cyclone hit. It is still trying to reach the other two, but says its inability to do so is likely due to the collapse of Myanmar telephone lines, and the erratic functioning of the Israel Embassy caused by the difficulties posed by the natural disaster. Ministry officials said that at this point there is no cause for concern. The Foreign Ministry is calling on Israelis not to go to Myanmar any time soon, citing flooding, food supply difficulties, and the collapse of essential services such as electricity, water and telephone communication. "Basically the entire lower delta region is under water," said Richard Horsey, Bangkok-based spokesman for the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Aid. He predicted the number of fatalities could rise dramatically beyond the figure given by Myanmar officials Tuesday. "Aid workers started distributing essential relief supplies in the region, including water purification tablets, mosquito nets, plastic sheeting and basic medical supplies. But heavily flooded areas were accessible only by boat, with helicopters unable to deliver relief supplies there," he said. "Teams are talking about bodies floating around in the water," he said. "This is a major, major disaster we're dealing with." Bookmark to del.icio.us   Siniora vs. Hezbollah The Lebanon prime minister accuses Hezbollah of staging a coup. Powerless in Gaza Palestinians say tha Gaza power plant has closed due to a fuel shortage.   1.   How much is Iran expected to contribute? 06:35  |  Akiva P 07/05/08   2.   my greatest sympathies to the tormented people of Myanmar 10:35  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 07/05/08   3.   Israel already helping Myanmar junta 11:17  |  raymond deane 07/05/08   4.   a pittance compared to australias $3 million 11:53  |  VIPER 07/05/08   5.   To #3 15:01  |  Evan Gildenblatt 07/05/08   6.   100,000k 15:10  |  Jack 07/05/08   7.   Israel just can`t do anything right hey? 15:44  |  Bonehead 07/05/08   8.   Bonehead,perfiddious Catholics from Ireland don`t even help their 16:34  |  Absolute Sweden 07/05/08   9.   A whole 10 cents per homeless survivor 16:43  |  Chris Linthwaite 07/05/08   10.   Good to know 17:05  |  Hizbullahi 07/05/08   11.   100K? Is that a joke? 17:09  |  HA! 07/05/08   12.   #9 Chris Linthwaite 17:24  |  manny.b 07/05/08   13.   Amount of aid 17:37  |  Arie 07/05/08   14.   Internationa aid & Myannamar. 17:46  |  curious 07/05/08   15.   How much are the oil rich Arab countries contributing? ZERO 17:50  |  x-ray 07/05/08   16.   UK has money from their Empire: probably has Burmese gems too 17:53  |  x-ray 07/05/08   17.   Lightweight, how much per citizen? 17:55  |  x-ray 07/05/08   18.   Jack 17:55  |  Marc 07/05/08   19.   lind-waste`s comparisons are wrong 17:59  |  ziggurat 07/05/08   20.   This is just government aid, private organizations also contribut 18:14  |  Michael Bar 07/05/08   21.   Why bother? 18:15  |  Natallie Durson 07/05/08   22.   Its my $!! 18:43  |  Natallie Durson 07/05/08   23.   what a low amount of aid 18:53  |  Jurgen 07/05/08   24.   #23 Jurgen 19:45  |  Sol 07/05/08   25.   Jurgen from Germany 19:49  |  MR 07/05/08   26.   #3 Irish hypocrite 19:54  |  Sol 07/05/08   27.   those who hate Israel, hate humanity, too 20:05  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 07/05/08   28.   Jack in Boston #6 21:41  |  Bill H. 07/05/08   29.   Charity begins at home 22:27  |  L A 07/05/08   30.   Natalie Durson`s right! 22:37  |  DR 07/05/08   31.   Do arabs/muslims ever contribute...anything 23:53  |  real vision 07/05/08   32.   It`s Natallies Money #22 23:54  |  Bill H. 07/05/08   33.   It`s emergency money 00:20  |  Ben 08/05/08   34.   I hope this happens to Western Europe 00:24  |  Divine retribution 08/05/08   35.   #29 LA in Israel. Did you complain... 00:58  |  Maureen Ann 08/05/08   36.   Aid to Myanmar 01:37  |  Cyasher 08/05/08   37.   Durston # 21 03:01  |  Rozz 08/05/08   38.   US assistance to Myanmar 03:47  |  Moshe 08/05/08   39.   Dollar amount doesn`t matter 05:09  |  Matt 08/05/08   40.   #26 Sol 05:41  |  Jack 08/05/08   41.   Gnatallie: I Care About All People As Long As They`re Palestinian 06:50  |  Tex 08/05/08   42.   Lintwit: Having a Pint for Myanmar 06:52  |  Tex 08/05/08   43.   Wishing the magnitude of this disaster and worse on Arabs in Gaza 07:56  |  Genuine Tosefta 08/05/08   44.   no.15 (x-ray), no.31 (real vision) 07:59  |  Wes 08/05/08   45.   Israel offered U.S. immediate help to Katrina victims too 08:08  |  Genuine Tosefta 08/05/08   46.   The Israel Forum for International Humanitarian Aid 08:10  |  Genuine Tosefta 08/05/08   47.   To #35 09:47  |  L A 08/05/08   48.   wow the Red Crescent is sending aid: above & beyond? 09:50  |  x-ray 08/05/08   49.   To Absolute SWeden #8 09:01  |  Yohann 09/05/08   50.   To Absolute Sweden #8 09:05  |  Yohann 09/05/08   51.   #4 Viper with it`s venomous pittance... 18:59  |  Magnify 11/05/08

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