Earth Science News
DISASTER MANAGEMENT
UN urges Myanmar junta to open up to Cyclone Mocha relief
UN urges Myanmar junta to open up to Cyclone Mocha relief
by AFP Staff Writers
Geneva (AFP) May 24, 2023

The United Nations on Wednesday called for Myanmar to open up and ensure life-saving aid can get to parts of the country hit by deadly Cyclone Mocha.

UN rights chief Volker Turk urged the country's military rulers to let needs assessments go ahead as the Southeast Asian nation reels from the cyclone's impact.

Mocha brought lashing rain and winds of 195 kilometres (120 miles) per hour to Myanmar and neighbouring Bangladesh on May 14, collapsing buildings and turning streets into rivers.

"The damage and loss of life was both foreseeable and avoidable -- and is clearly linked with the systematic denial of human rights," Turk told a press conference in Geneva.

"It is imperative that the military lift the blockages on travel, allow for needs assessments to happen, and ensure access to and delivery of life-saving aid and services."

Myanmar's junta has given a death toll of 148 people, mostly from the persecuted Rohingya minority in western Rakhine state.

"For decades, the authorities in Myanmar have deprived the Rohingya of their rights and freedoms and relentlessly attacked other ethnic groups, eroding their capacity to survive," Turk said.

Rakhine is home to hundreds of thousands of Rohingya, many of whom live in displacement camps following decades of ethnic conflict.

"Displaced communities have subsisted in temporary bamboo structures, some since 2012, with Myanmar's military repeatedly denying requests of humanitarian agencies to build more sustainable living conditions in areas less prone to flooding," said Turk.

"I saw this myself on my many trips to Myanmar, especially to the east. They have also consistently prevented the Rohingya from moving freely, including in the days before the cyclone."

On Tuesday, the UN launched an appeal for $333 million in emergency funding for 1.6 million people it said were affected by Cyclone Mocha in Myanmar.

Related Links
Bringing Order To A World Of Disasters
A world of storm and tempest
When the Earth Quakes

Subscribe Free To Our Daily Newsletters
Tweet

RELATED CONTENT
The following news reports may link to other Space Media Network websites.
DISASTER MANAGEMENT
Sri Lanka navy finds 14 bodies in capsized Chinese boat
Colombo (AFP) May 24, 2023
Sri Lanka's navy said Wednesday it had located 14 bodies inside a Chinese fishing boat that had capsized last week with 39 crew on board. The grisly discovery came a day after a preliminary Chinese government probe concluded there were no survivors on the vessel that overturned on May 16. The Lu Peng Yuan Yu 028 had on board 17 Chinese, 17 Indonesians and five Filipinos and was within Australia's vast search-and-rescue region, 5,000 kilometres (2,700 nautical miles) west of Perth. The Philip ... read more

DISASTER MANAGEMENT
Children in quake-hit Syria learn in buses turned classrooms

UN urges Myanmar junta to open up to Cyclone Mocha relief

As 'Blue Helmets' turn 75, chief laments UN divisions

On the edge: DR Congo city stalked by fear of landslides

DISASTER MANAGEMENT
'We abuse plastic, it's so cheap': UN Environment chief

What do we know about the mechanics of two-dimensional materials

Researchers use AI to identify similar materials in images

Fleet Space raises new funding to globalise critical minerals exploration tech

DISASTER MANAGEMENT
Pre-Hispanic aquaducts irrigate modern Peruvian crops

Two killed in clashes on Afghan-Iranian border: Taliban

Ivory Coast imposes fishing bans in bid to conserve stocks

US Supreme Court deals setback to clean water law

DISASTER MANAGEMENT
Satellites provide crucial insights into Arctic amplification

UAF scientists to hunt for clues about Arctic Ocean glaciation

Antarctica's heart of ice has skipped a beat

Why Antarctic ice shelves are losing their mass and how it leads to global sea level rise

DISASTER MANAGEMENT
Planet-friendly farming takes root in drought-hit Tunisia

SmartSat targets Australian agricultural intelligence from space

EU's next food fight: regulating gene-edited crops

Gaza beekeeper tends hives by restive border

DISASTER MANAGEMENT
NTT and OIST conduct first direct observations under Category 5 Typhoon in NW Pacific

Guam 'weathers storm' as Typhoon Mawar moves west

'Don Goyo's angry': the legends behind rumbling Mexican volcano

Tonga underwater volcano disrupted satellite signals halfway around the world

DISASTER MANAGEMENT
Libya says air force strikes 'smuggler hideouts'

Fighting rages in Darfur as Sudan mediators report progress

In Sudan's capital, risking death in search of water

Venice exhibition shines light on Africa's forced urbanisation

DISASTER MANAGEMENT
Serotonin's impact across molecular and whole-brain levels in a simple animal

Oldest architectural plans detail mysterious desert mega structures

Evidence of Ice Age human migrations from China to the Americas and Japan

Scientists reveal more inclusive update to human genome

Subscribe Free To Our Daily Newsletters




The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2024 - Space Media Network. All websites are published in Australia and are solely subject to Australian law and governed by Fair Use principals for news reporting and research purposes. AFP, UPI and IANS news wire stories are copyright Agence France-Presse, United Press International and Indo-Asia News Service. ESA news reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. All articles labeled "by Staff Writers" include reports supplied to Space Media Network by industry news wires, PR agencies, corporate press officers and the like. Such articles are individually curated and edited by Space Media Network staff on the basis of the report's information value to our industry and professional readership. Advertising does not imply endorsement, agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by Space Media Network on any Web page published or hosted by Space Media Network. General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Statement Our advertisers use various cookies and the like to deliver the best ad banner available at one time. All network advertising suppliers have GDPR policies (Legitimate Interest) that conform with EU regulations for data collection. By using our websites you consent to cookie based advertising. If you do not agree with this then you must stop using the websites from May 25, 2018. Privacy Statement. Additional information can be found here at About Us.