RALEIGH, N.C. -- The United States is among the countries flying supplies to Myanmar, but officials say it's difficult to say how and if the supplies are getting to people in need.

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There's also an effort underway here in Raleigh to help get a limited amount of aid to that country. It's part of an on-going effort by a local church to help refugees from that country.

 

About a half dozen refugee families from Myanmar arrive in the Triangle every week, and the Christ Covenant Church tries to help them get settled.

 

Now, in addition to helping those families adapt to the United States, the church is finding that it needs to find ways to help the relatives of those left behind in the typhoon devastation zone.

 

Monday night, NBC17 spoke with two refugee families living in Raleigh who still have many relatives and friends in Myanmar.

 

“We worry every day, but we can not do anything,” said refugee Win Maung.

 

Win and his family fled from Myanmar to a refugee camp in Thailand before arriving in the United States in September of 2007.

 

It frustrates him to see aid being withheld by the military rulers of that country, but he says that's a normal situation in his homeland.

 

“The outside world is starting to realize how brutal this military dictatorship treats its own people,” he said.

 

Raleigh's Christ Covenant Church is trying to help get aid to those suffering in Myanmar through back-channel efforts organized by a group that is conducting clandestine rescue efforts behind the backs of the military rulers.

 

“They will bring aid to churches there who in turn will be able to deal with the cyclone effects,” said pastor John Luther of Christ Covenant Church. 

 

But Pastor John admits the aid getting in that way is miniscule, and won't be able to help the tens of thousands who are dying. For those living in Raleigh all they can do is follow the news coverage and hope that relatives back home will somehow survive.

 

“The situation now is they know that their families may die and we worry about this,” said refugee Htoo Saw.

 

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