By Nathan Duke and Jeremy Walsh
As aid began to trickle into cyclone-ravaged Myanmar and a western Chinese province was struck with a 7.8-magnitude earthquake that left thousands dead, Queens leaders called for residents to get involved in relief efforts.
“New Yorkers have already flooded my office with calls offering assistance,” said City Councilman John Liu (D-Flushing), noting Sichuan Province, where the quake struck, is the birthplace or ancestral home of many city Szechuan restaurant owners.
At least 32,000 people were reported dead in Myanmar by press time Tuesday, with another 30,000 missing, while reports in China indicated at least 12,000 people were killed Monday in Sichuan Province.
In Myanmar, the cyclone destroyed nearly all homes in the low-lying delta areas, leaving 1 million of the country's 47 million residents homeless, the American Red Cross said. The nation, long under the control of a military junta, continues to restrict large-scale aid distribution to stricken areas.
Chinese immigrants in Queens worried about family and friends they left behind. Cheng Zhung Huang, a chef and president of the American Szechuan Chef Association, said his sister lives in a city near where the quake occurred. She was not injured, Huang said.
Huang recalled a major temblor hitting the area in 1976.
“My first feeling was it would be like that,” he said through a translator, noting he remembered people sleeping on the streets because buildings were unsafe.
An Ton Wong, the chef association's vice president, said he was very concerned about his mother, brothers and sisters who live in the province.
“Communications in certain areas are basically down,” he said through a translator. “We don't know the situation there.”
Liu called on residents to donate to the Red Cross' New York branch or to other groups like the Taiwan Buddhist Tzu Chi Foundation, whose east coast office is in Flushing.
Scott Huang, an administrative assistant for the foundation, said the group has already sent 30,000 blankets and 1,000 tents to Myanmar. A team is preparing to assess the damage in Sichuan Province, he said.
In Elmhurst, a Burmese enclave is also preparing a small aid effort. The Myanmar Baptist Church at 87-37 Whitney Ave. will hold a meeting at 2 p.m. Saturday to discuss a relief fund.
The church will accept only cash contributions, no food or clothes, said the Rev. U Myo Maw.
“Not many church members have lost family members, but many have had difficulty reaching loved ones by phone because the lines are broken down,” he said. “So many are worried.”
Elmhurst resident Myo Thway said he has already sent $500 to relief efforts in his native country. He said his father's home in Hinthada was slightly flooded, but the cyclone ripped off a good portion of his uncle's roof in Yangon.
“For four days, I didn't know what was going on,” he said. “It was not very easy to get in touch with anybody. I'm glad everything is OK.”
To donate to the Red Cross, call 1-800-HELP-NOW or 1-800-257-7575 for Spanish, log on to www.nyredcross.org or mail donations to the American Red Cross International Response Fund, P.O. Box 4002018, Des Moines, IA 50340-2018. To donate to the Tzu Chi Foundation's “Support Myanmar with Love” campaign, visit 137-77 Northern Blvd. in Flushing, call 718-888-0866 or visit www.tzuchi.org.
Reach reporters Nathan Duke and Jeremy Walsh by e-mail at news@timesledger.com.
