With the current news media saturated with the global climate crisis, I recall how the ferocious cyclone Nargis struck Myanmar without mercy in May 2008. However, this brief is not about the climate crisis or about Myanmar. It is about two brave young women who survived the life and death crisis amidst the cyclone, an extreme example of human resilience.
During the field visits soon after the cyclone we learned that people had no time to run inland in the dark of the night in the midst of a ferocious cyclone with sustained wind speed of 165km/hr. with frequent gusts reaching up to 215km/hr. The cyclone lasted throughout the night of the 2nd and continued till the morning of 3rd May 2008. Myanmar is used to annual tropical cyclones but cyclone Nargis was the deadliest ever recorded.
Baby girl named Nargis born 3rd May 2008 |
During one of my early field visits I met two young women in two separate locations who were among those who managed to climb a nearby tree. Both were primiparous and were at the last stage of their pregnancies. The two women gave birth to two girls while sitting tight and holding on to the tree they managed to climb in the dark of the night. The fear and emotional stress may have induced an early labour nevertheless the infants were healthy and looked normal. When I met them, they were just under three weeks old.
The first girl in the picture was aptly named Nargis. If I ever manage to return to Irrawaddy delta again I would certainly be delighted to meet these two brave young mothers and these two lucky girls, who survived against all the odds. They must be in their teens by now.
Second baby girl born on 3rd May 2008 |
There is no way I can describe the emotional state – fear, anguish, hope – of these two young mothers who were separated from the rest of the family amidst the crisis – a pitch dark night, alone, exposed to a ferocious tropical storm and wind speed that make rain drops hitting the body like sharp needles. It is nothing less than a miracle - the perseverance and will to fight, a will to live and a will not to give up. It is an authentic human spirit. The images of these two young mothers and their infant girls will always be in my memory.
The economies of communities in these areas were largely based on shrimp farming, fishing, and agriculture with traditional methods. The road infrastructures and social services such as education and health were basic. Despite annual storms and cyclones there were no storm shelters. Communities like this and events like cyclone Nargis are stark reminders of the vulnerability of human beings. It is also a reminder for us that there are still large gaps in social and economic justice. Our world is polarising with extremes in excesses and deficits, with luxury and destitution, with opportunities and voidance or emptiness.
Someday, let us hope that there would be justice and equal opportunity for all!
Unfortunately Mother Nature strikes without regard to human safety. Yes, much can be done to build stronger shelters and to improve rescue preparations. This reminds me of hurricane experiences here in the Caribbean. At one, a woman tried to get home and was swept away by a rushing current. After hurricane Hugo in 1989, 95% of buildings on St.Croix were either destroyed or badly damages, Since then stronger building codes are being enforced. Hurricane Maria three years ago destroyed the electric grid and we were without power for two months. An effort is now being made to put the elctric lines under ground and to put up stronger poles, But there were no casualties and the damage to buildings was minimal.
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