Photos by Reuters
Myanmar (MNN) ― Myanmar is being urged to focus on saving lives, not on saving political face.
International Aid's Myles Fish says the slowly opening doors are allowing them in to help. "We have partners in country, on the ground, who are requesting both medical equipment and our water filters. We're doing everything that we can now to gather the resource necessary so that we can provide both of those needs."
Fish says it takes time and money to get 12 medical clinics and 50,000 bio-sand water filters to Myanmar. "The rescue phase has already passed, but the relief phase could last quite a while. And the contribution that we are talking about will definitely make a difference during the relief phase and then on into the development phase."
That's a critical stage in their response. The World Health Organization says the peak danger period is between 10 days and one month after a natural disaster due to the heightened threat of unsafe food, dirty water and poor hygiene and sanitation in overcrowded shelters.
Diarrhea, dysentery and some cholera have hit some cyclone survivors. Many remain crammed into monasteries, schools and other temporary shelters weeks after the devastating May 2 storm. The fears of a widespread outbreak of waterborne disease haven't proven true yet.
That's what's making the urgency of getting the bio-sand filters into the hands of their partners.
The bio-sand filter will filter out the worst of the dirty water and prevent water-borne disease. However, it takes a while to ship. Once it's installed, it's two more weeks for the filter to cure so that it's filtering at its maximum efficiency rate.
The investment in people IS kingdom work, Fish explains. "First, you have to be there. You have to demonstrate your love of Christ by meeting the physical needs, and that often times gives you the opportunity to build relationships that are deeper, that actually enable you to articulate who we are and why we're doing what we're doing, and to get an attentive audience because we've earned their respect."
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