We are still seeing a bunch of new visitors who want to know about Myanmar children and Myanmar adoption. They are finding us via google.com. So this update is for the searchers and others who care.

LisaS reported in a recent post that children from Myanmar (formerly Burma) cannot be adopted. The UN is estimating that 100,000 Burmese may have died due to Cyclone Nargis and the aftermath. Or maybe the figure is 127,990 Myanmar dead and growing. And according to Aljazeera:

Myanmar's military rulers appear to be digging in their heels in the face of mounting international pressure to allow more aid into the country.

And from the Prague Post:

“According to our information, they are selling the humanitarian aid they receive,” said Veronika Divišová, coordinator of the Burmese operation for the Czech humanitarian organization People in Need. “On top of that, dissidents and other people that the regime wants to get rid of do not have access to aid at all.”

While the UN and other organizations have struggled with getting visas for their relief workers, others are getting visas. A medical team from Tulsa, Oklahoma has their visas and will be taking medical supplies and portable water purification units to Myanmar. They are associated with In His Image International.

Over 100,000 Myanmar citizens have died, but that isn't the worst. Potentially over 1,000,000 could die due to lack of food, lack of clean water, infected injuries and chronic diarrhea.

google.com is suggesting that people donate money to UNICEF or Direct Relief International to help the citizens of Myanmar. This triggered a very lively discussion on the Adoption_From_Ukraine email list. Many people were strongly recommending not sending UNICEF any money.

Ukraine, like Haiti and Guatemala, has received a boat load of money from UNICEF. And in return for this money, UNICEF asked for/suggested certain changes. Some of these changes certain seem anti-adoption. So many Ukrainian adoptive families are sending their donations to organizations like Direct Relief International or In His Image International. If you want more information about this read:

• UNICEF Continues its Anti-Adoption Crusade
• When There’s No Place Like Home (UNICEF)

Image Credit: grantthai at Flickr