Confusing aid politics hampers relief effort

by Solomon

Saturday, 10 May 2008 14:50

The World Food Programme said it would send two more shipments of aid to Burma today after a confusing 24 hours of aid politics. The UN agency had said Friday that it would halt shipments of aid to victims of Cyclone Nargis after the Burmese government took control of two shipments of high-energy biscuits. But by the end of the day, the WFP had reversed its decision. "The World Food Programme has decided to send in two relief flights as planned …. while discussions continue with the Government of Myanmar on the distribution of the food that was flown in today, and not released to WFP," Nancy E. Roman, WFP's director of public policy and communication, said in a statement from Rome. The Burmese government said it had the right to distribute the food, which was enough to feed 95,000 "hungry people," Roman said. But WFP normally distributes its food with its own staff. The agency, meanwhile, had already distributed enough biscuits for 21,000 people in the hardest-hit areas of the country, Roman said. The U.S. meanwhile, was given permission to fly in a single C-130 plane after days of waiting. The flight was expected to land on Monday. Earlier Friday, the US Ambassador to Thailand, Eric John, had told a press conference in Bangkok that the US had been denied permission to enter the country. The confusion stems from the government's slow response to international aid workers, who are frustrated by the junta's delays in approving aid shipments and visas for international staff. "This should not happen – otherwise people will die if they do not get emergency supplies," said Dr. Tint Swe, a minister of the exiled government, the National Coalition Government Union. "The world should not let them act like this," Tint Swe said. "If they continue to prevent international humanitarian aid, the international communities should intervene." Later Friday at UN headquarters in New York, Burma's ambassador said the country would accept aid from anywhere in the world. "We are ready to speed up and strengthen our relief effort," he said. The UN also issued a worldwide appeal for $187 million for the estimated 1.5 million victims of Cyclone Nargis. Only a trickle of aid has reached survivors in the hard-hit Irrawaddy Delta region. < Prev   Next >