More than 75,000 people are reported dead and more than 55,000 are missing in a tropical cyclone that struck Burma over the weekend. Please help Burmese workers.

		In the aftermath of the cyclone, Burmese residents seek fresh water. © Jacques de Goldfiem. All rights reserved.

U.N. officials say that hundreds of thousands are without shelter and drinking water after Tropical Cyclone Nargis struck Rangoon and Irawaddy late Friday, May 2, with winds exceeding 150 miles per hour. The cyclone brought down power and phone lines, leveled thousands of homes, and left entire communities under water. According to the latest official figures, thousands of people are missing in areas where the cyclone hit hardest, and tens of thousands more may have perished in other regions. Rescue workers have not yet been able to gauge the scale of the destruction firsthand.

Although neighboring countries have responded quickly with food, clothing, and medical supplies, flooding and military controls prevent them from reaching those who need them most. In addition, the cyclone has devastated Burma’s rice crop, which was to feed not only its own people, but also those of impoverished Sri Lanka and Bangladesh.

The Federation of Trade Unions of Burma, a Solidarity Center partner, has issued a plea to the global labor movement for aid in launching immediate rescue, relief, and rehabilitation work for victims of the storm. “We are very concerned by the havoc caused against the people of Burma,” said FTUB General Secretary U Maung Maung. “The storm has left much loss of homes, lives, and properties in its wake.” 

The Solidarity Center's union and community partners use relief fund contributions to distribute clothing, medicine, and non-perishable food for displaced workers and their families, build temporary shelters, and assist in providing needed counseling and health clinics. Please click here to contribute.