Despite the best efforts of the government of Burma to suppress the truth about the devastation, some news is getting out, and it’s grim:

The Associated Press: Man loses 28 relatives in Myanmar village hit by cyclone

Initially, Myanmar authorities had feared that 10,000 people had perished in the Bogalay area, which Myanmar’s meteorological department said was in the path of the cyclone’s eye. In recent days, however, officials have given no breakdowns of the toll, saying only that at least 62,000 are dead or missing nationwide.

I have read other accounts of foreign aid workers on the ground who estimate the number of dead closer to 100,000.

BlogHer has added an option to donate to the victims of the cyclone. Please consider a gift in memory of your mother, grandmother, aunt, or sister for Mother’s Day.

Getting humanitarian aid past the government and into the country has proven to be difficult. The government is stonewalling, pretending that if they lock everything down and isolate outside aid workers, they can deny that there has been any death or destruction at all.

However, there is hope. Burma’s aide to the UN has gratefully accepted offers of help, and aid shipments are expected to resume via the World Food Programme.

If the government continues to allow its people to die or go without food, shelter and clothing, I’d suggest we start dropping bombs. Rice bombs, straight to the people.

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