The cyclone that hit Myanmar earlier this month has affected not only thousands of its native citizens, but also a Law Center student.

Dominic Nardi (SFS ’05, LAW ’09) returned to the city of Yangon, where his wife’s family lives, after the cyclone, joining his father-in-law in relief efforts in a village outside the city.

“When I arrived, I brought water purification tablets and devices, which he will bring to the village next week,” Nardi said. “He and his friend plan to develop a long-term relationship with the village to help it out.”

Myanmar, formerly known as Burma, has been governed by a military junta since the 1960s. The leadership has done little, Nardi said, to offer aid to those devastated by the cyclone and has placed restrictions on relief workers wishing to enter villages. More than 66,000 are dead or missing, according to the Myanmar government, while the U.N. and Red Cross estimate that the death toll could surpass 100,000. In addition, the U.N. reported that up to 2 million survivors are still in need of emergency aid.

Nardi said that while his family was fortunately unharmed by the cyclone, the roof of their house was badly damaged and, like many others in Yangon, they lost electricity and water for over a week before it was restored on Tuesday.

Entering Yangon was quite unlike any other time he had traveled there, he added.

“When you get into the downtown area, you notice damage to roofs, buildings, fallen light and telephone poles. Parts of the city look like ghost towns, but still with people in them trying to rebuild,” he said.

However, it has not been easy for foreigners who wish to help in the relief efforts to enter the country and work in villages, Nardi said.

“Foreigners are generally not being allowed to go to the hit villages. I had been hoping to accompany my father-in-law to help him deliver the aid next week, but he said that there might be government informers,” he said.

According to Nardi, many parts of the country have been destroyed, and conditions continue to deteriorate from their already desolate state, while the government does little to offer humanitarian aid. However, the relief work already being done does indicate a hope for increased, sustained aid.

“Among exiles in America, there is much talk of a humanitarian intervention into the country. While this is unlikely, more and more people seem to openly hope for this,” he said.

Nardi said that while there remains much work to be done, the relief efforts of civilians both inside and outside Burma have been nothing short of commendable.

“There is definitely a sense that people have to help each other because the government won’t,” he said.