Children Unable to Return to School in Myanmar, Archbishop Says

With their lives still in a state of disarray, another reality has hit the children of Myanmar after a cyclone devastated their villages and towns.

June 2 marked the beginning of the school year, but in Aima, a village in the southern Irrawaddy delta region, "all the schools have been destroyed," said Archbishop Charles Bo of Yangon in e-mails in late May and early June.

The archbishop said he believes that "the start of the school year is also an important reminder that we must prioritize the needs of children who have been affected by Cyclone Nargis." He called on the church to "ensure that children can also return to school as soon as possible."

In his e-mails, Archbishop Bo gave updates on the Asian country's state of affairs. After recently traveling 10 hours by boat to Aima, he also shared the stories of what he saw and heard from survivors.

"For the children of Aima, the horror of the cyclone still haunts them," said Archbishop Bo.

"Many of the children cry at night and when it rains. The children fear the worst and relive the trauma of the night" of May 2, when Cyclone Nargis hit, he said.

"Amidst so much death and destruction, the resilience of children was brought home to me by many stories that I heard," he said.