Burma
In the heart of Irrawaddy, a devastated village
Monday 19 May 2008
FRANCE 24’s special correspondents are covering the aftermath of Cyclone Nargis in the Irrawaddy delta region of Burma. There they have collected testimonies from villagers who live in isolation.
Monday 19 May 2008
By FRANCE 24FRANCE 24’s special correspondents Alice Beaumont and Anaïs Boussat have managed to enter Burma clandestinely, despite the tight restrictions on the international press. They are now covering the aftermath of the cyclone in the Irrawaddy region. There they have collected testimonies from villagers who live in isolation four hours from Rangoon.
Post your questions to our special correspondents in Burma and the region.
In the Irrawaddy delta, where the majority of villages are only accessible by boat, Cyclone Nargis was all the more destructive due to a surge of water that engulfed everything.
“The bodies were carried by the water, towards the sea,” explains a villager when asked about the victims of the cyclone.
More than 15 days later, you still see animal corpses floating in the water and tens of thousands of people are still reported missing.
Our special correspondents met an old woman who lost her husband, her daughter, her grandson and her daughter-in-law. Their bodies have not yet been found.
The villagers are anxious about the future. They only have enough food to last a month. For the moment they survive thanks to the solidarity between the villagers and the local and international aid that reaches them.
The distribution of aid is organised by the monks of the village. The person in charge of the monastery explains that they divided the villagers into three groups: those who lost their family, those who lost their harvest and cattle, and those who miraculously were not affected by the cyclone.
The villagers are currently receiving emergency aid, but they wonder how they will be able to work again in the fields without cattle, seed, and equipment.
Watch the report by clicking ‘Play Video’ above.
Be the first to react.
Pour aller plus loin
Pour aller plus loin
