2008 North Indian Ocean cyclone season tremendous, with 450,000 homes, 4,000 schools, and 75 percent of healthcare facilities destroyed and 350,000 homes severely damaged. With approximately 140,000 fatalities taking place in Myanmar, Nargis is regarded as the worst disaster in the country's history and ranks as the fourth-deadliest tropical cyclone on record. Damage from the storm amounted to 11.7 trillion Burmese kyat (US$12.9 billion), the majority of which occurred within the private sector. In the immediate aftermath of the cyclone, numerous members of the international community were prepared to provide Myanmar with aid. For several weeks, the State Peace and Development Council (Myanmar's military junta) insisted
History of Myanmar said: "Monks have been beaten and killed... Thousands of pro-democracy protesters have been arrested". Some news reports referred to the protests as the Saffron Revolution. On 7 February 2008, SPDC announced that a referendum for the Constitution would be held, and Elections by 2010. The Burmese constitutional referendum, 2008 was held on 10 May and promised a "discipline-flourishing democracy" for the country in the future. On 3 May 2008, Cyclone Nargis devastated the country when winds of up to 215 km/h (135 mph) touched land in the densely populated, rice-farming delta of the Irrawaddy Division. It is estimated that more