The Death Toll Rises

George Packer on the situation in Burma:

Burma used to be the world’s largest exporter of rice; after decades of military misrule, it now has trouble feeding itself. When I was there in February, I heard that some peasants were surviving on one meal a day, and a knowledgeable woman spoke of the conditions that might lead to famine. Now the danger is far more realthousands of villagers have no food or water, and reports of hunger are widespread. So the already unimaginable death toll could increase considerably with starvation and disease.

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