Archbishop of Sydney

Burma

By + Cardinal George Pell
Archbishop of Sydney
25/5/2008

Over 100,000 people have been killed and 1.5 million displaced since Burma’s Irrawaddy Delta was smashed by Cyclone Nargis earlier this month.  Another 220,000 are missing.

This devastating tragedy was followed soon after by a massive earthquake in China which has claimed an estimated 74,000 lives so far.  Almost a quarter of a million people were injured and 5 million people have been left homeless.

The economic costs in both countries could be as much as $10 billion each.

The Chinese government moved swiftly to bring in rescuers and relief, but in Burma the military dictatorship sat on its hands and blocked offers of international aid.  Many excuses have been offered, but the needs of the Burmese people should be at the forefront in such a disaster.

The Burmese junta has spent heavily on the military at the expense of essential services such as health, education and infrastructure.  With too little spent on roads people can’t get produce to market, concrete and bricks can’t be transported to build stronger housing, and outlying communities can’t grow.

In the midst of this stagnation the Catholic Church has quietly gone about supporting the people of Burma over the last twenty years.

The morning after the cyclone hit the Burmese Church, supported by the international Catholic aid agency Caritas, has used its limited resources to help the rescue effort and to revive life and hope.  Church networks have reached some of the remotest villages to deliver food, water, shelter and medicines, all sourced from inside the country.

Early on in the disaster, while the government was yet to act, one Catholic group had trained 400 volunteers in assessment, logistics, emergency response and accountability.  With Caritas support, the Myanmar (Burmese) Catholic Bishops’ Conference has now assisted more than 60,000 people.

Caritas and its local partners face enormous challenges in Burma.  The amount of aid which is getting through is only a tiny percentage of what is needed.  Caritas has vast experience in handling such emergencies and is preparing the logistics for a mass distribution of food as soon as it is allowed into Burma.
I want to echo the words of a Caritas worker on the ground who said; “I am very proud that we as a Church have been able to be there in the greatest hour of need of the people of Burma.”

Australians are great givers, particularly to people who need a hand, and our concern for our neighbours is not confined just to the people next door. Along with other governments, the Australian government is working to encourage the Burmese military to let the international aid agencies in so that they can help those suffering and begin the work of rebuilding lives and communities.

We need to do what we can to support these efforts.  A donation to Caritas Australia’s appeal for Burma (www.caritas.org.au) is one way of doing this.