Cyclone Giri

Preparations

Shortly after Giri was classified a very severe cyclonic storm, warnings were issued for the coastline of Myanmar. Relative to the storm's intensity, preparations were minimal; however, this was because forecasters did not anticipate Giri to strengthen as quickly as it did. The greatest fear of the residents was the aftermath of the storm. There were concerns that the cyclone could cause devastation similar to that of Cyclone Nargis in May 2008 which killed an estimated 140,000 people in the Irrawaddy Delta. The chief of the Myanmar Climate Change Watch, a branch within the Myanmar Meteorology and Hydrology Department, urged people to move to higher grounds and into sturdy buildings as a storm surge up to 3.6 m (12 ft) was anticipated. Warnings of the storm were constantly broadcast through television, radio and newspapers. In Sittwe, the capital of Rakhine State, authorities used loudspeakers to warn residents about Cyclone Giri. According to the military junta, an estimated 53,000 are believed to have evacuated Kyaukphyu before the arrival of the storm.

Even though the storm was not expected to hit Bangladesh, the Bangladesh Meteorological Department issued storm signal five, "danger level", at ports of Cox's Bazar and Chittagong. Ships and vessels were also asked to return to shore quickly. On October 23, the warning signals were lowered as the threat from Giri diminished.

Impact

According to local media, Cyclone Giri brought a storm surge up to 3.7 m (12 ft), along with waves up to 8 m (26 ft) and winds in excess of 260 km/h (160 mph). In Kyaukphyu, much of the city was left more than 1.2 m (3.9 ft) under water by the storm. Residents stated that most of Kyaukphyu was destroyed by Giri, with nearly every tree and lamppost felled and all structures damaged or destroyed. Later reports confirmed that roughly 70% of the city had been destroyed by Giri. In the Ashey Paing ward, an entire village was flattened by the storm as roughly 1,000 homes were destroyed. Near the Gangawtaw Pagoda in Kyaukphyu, nearly 100 homes were completely destroyed. The local Red Cross office in the city was also destroyed after a large tree fell on it due to high winds. Myebon Township was the hardest-hit area in the country: several villages were completely destroyed by the storm and many others were severely damaged. According to the United Nations, roughly 15,000 homes were destroyed by the storm throughout Rakhine State.

In the Seikphyu Township, flood waters up to 4.6 m (15 ft) deep inundated 20 villages after overflow from a dam was released without warning. Of the few reports coming from the region, there were indications of fatalities in outlying villages. Most of the livestock in the area perished as there was no time to bring them to higher ground safely. The overall timing of the cyclone's landfall was also devastating for the region. It came at the only harvest of the year for Rakhine State. According to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization, 16,187 hectares (40,000 acres) of rice paddies were destroyed and another 40,468 hectares (100,000 acres) were damaged.

Within a day of Giri striking Myanmar, three people were reported to have been killed by the storm and tens of thousands of residents were believed to have been left homeless. By October 25, officials in Myanmar stated that the death toll had risen to 50 and at least 30 people in the Pyin Wan Village were missing. Press reports stated that "The situation here is alarming", as more bodies were discovered. Offshore, more than 100 fishermen from Myanmar and Bangladesh were reported missing after 21 ships were caught in rough seas produced by the cyclone. By October 29, at least 94 people were confirmed to have been killed by Giri. Of these fatalities, 84 were in Myebon Township (Mray Bon) and 10 in Pauktaw Township. However, according to local relief groups, the death toll had risen over 100.

By November 2, 157 fatalities had been confirmed as a result of Cyclone Giri. Of these fatalities, 138 were in Myebon Township, 11 in Pauktaw Township, 5 in Minbya Township and 3 in Kyaukpyu Township. According to officials in Kyaukpyu Township, damage from the storm amounted to Ks.2.34 billion (US$359 million).

Aftermath

Immediately following the storm, urgent requests for food and clean water were made by residents in the hardest hit areas. By the afternoon of October 23, the Red Cross began deploying relief supplies to the affected region; 300 tents and 150 bags of rice were planned to be distributed to Kyaukphyu where at least 5,000 people were left homeless. According to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), a total of 176,823 people were affected by the storm and 70,795 were left homeless. By October 30, the number affected and homeless had risen to 1.1 million and roughly 100,000 respectively. Red Cross officials also reported that an estimated 60,000 people were in need of assistance throughout Myanmar. Later that day, a relief charity was opened in Rangoon to aid victims of the storm; in short order, the charity had received donations of Ks.10 million ($10,000 USD). By October 25, temporary shelter camps set up by relief agencies housed an estimated 5,000 people.

By October 26, the Government of the Union of Myanmar had begun distributing 60,000 zinc roof sheets and the Ministry of Forestry provided 200 tonnes (220 tons) of timber. Through the end of October, six non-governmental organizations in Myanmar planned to distribute emergency food supplies, such rice, oil, salt and pulses, to 5,000 residents in Kyaukpyu and Myebon. Health supplies were also being distributed at relief camps by UNICEF in the hardest-hit areas. About 500 family kits containing non-food items, such as tarpaulins and mosquito nets, had been distributed by the Myanmar Red Cross Society and another 1,200 were being sent to the area. By the start of November, the government of Myanmar requested medial aid from the United Nations as a cholera outbreak began to unfold. Additional post-storm diseases such as diarrhoea, dysentery, eye infections and skin diseases became prevalent as well. According to locals, at least six people died as a result of cholera. At least 200 people were infected with dysentery and four were killed by the disease in the towns of Kyaukphyu, Minbya and Myebon. The cause of the outbreak was linked to a lack of clean water.

International assistance

On October 26, United States Secretary of State Hillary Clinton stated that the country would provide emergency assistance and aid to Myanmar. Roughly a week after the passage of Cyclone Giri, the government of Australia pledged about US$200,000 to victims of the storm. The governments of Britain and Japan also pledged to donate US$700,000 and US$500,000 respectively to Myanmar. The World Food Programme sent 900 tonnes (992 tons) of rice with another 300 tonnes (330 tons) on the way; stocks of rice in Kyaukpyu itself had reportedly been exhausted. By late-November, the World Food Programme had allocated US$2.8 million in relief funds. Roughly 1,500 households in Kyaukpyu township were being cared for by Save the Children. Through the United Nations, organizations pledged to provide a total of US$54 million in aid. In late-November, the United States provided an additional US$3 million in relief funds.

Criticism of the Junta

International and local media criticized the military government for inadequate warnings prior to Giri's landfall in the country. However, the junta claims to have informed the public appropriately. Little assistance had reached thousands of survivors days after the storm's passage, fueling anger from local media sources. Government relief slowly reached the area; however, workers only cleared debris left by the storm and only encouraged residents to rebuild by giving them the supplies needed to do so. Further criticism was made about the government withholding information on the loss of life and scale of damage. Requests were also made to postpone a national election for residents in Arakan State; however, no response was given and the elections were still planned to be held on November 7.

Additional criticism continued even a week after the storm, especially over the scale of the disaster. The government claimed that only 27 people had been killed by Giri while numerous local and international agencies stated significantly higher totals. They were also blamed for downplaying the amount of damage, resulting in slower distribution of aid to areas in desperate need. Two weeks after Giri struck Myanmar, little attention was given to the ongoing disaster by the Junta. The Myanmar government continued to keep other countries out of the area and prevent them from knowing what was going on in the hardest hit areas. Thousands of survivors continued to suffer due to the insufficient relief making it into the region. On November 8, local media discovered that the junta was threatening to sever aid to the region if residents did not vote for them in the national election. According to Mizzima, the opposing party won landslide victories in numerous townships; however, in the cyclone affected areas, the Junta had complete victories.