UN Warns: Second Cyclone to hit Burma

The Times is reporting that Burma is at risk of a second cyclone disaster, as the Pacific tropical storm may make landfall within 24 hours.

Burma's population is still reeling after Hurricane Nargis destroyed whole villages and left the people, already poverty-stricken and without useful aid from their government, without food, clean water, and shelter. The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has already raised the death toll estimate to more than 127,000 in short-term casualties alone - not even counting the deaths expected from long-term consequences such as water-borne illness and infant mortality. Burmese officials put the death toll estimate at 39,000, with 28,000 missing. This is hardly a surprise, as the Burmese government lacks the capacity (and perhaps the political will) to post an estimate as high as the ICRC. Meanwhile, the UN estimates that 1.5 million have been affected and are in need of aid to survive, despite reports aid has been continually delayed and misdirected by the junta.

Amid these worrying reports, I can't help but wonder if these aid czars have memories of the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami on their minds, thoughts of the criticism, the widespread misdirection of funds and chaos on the ground. I wonder how much this experience is influencing the current response to Burma's crisis?