Aid 'impossible' to move in Burma without government approval

by Solomon

Sunday, 11 May 2008 23:00

New Delhi – Aid cannot be distributed in Burma without monitoring by the military government, relief workers conceded Sunday. "In Burma, it is impossible to go anywhere without the government approving," said James East, spokesman for World Vision in Bangkok. Aid agencies recognize the government's authority, even though they want to control to their own supplies, he said. "Things take time in Burma," said East, adding that it takes "hard negotiation with the government." The Burmese Foreign Ministry said Friday through state run media that Burma can distribute aid by itself and that aid shipments, but not foreign experts, were welcome. The military authorities seized shipments of high-energy biscuits from the World Food Programme (WFP) on Friday. The UN agency initially said it would suspend aid, but then resumed flights again on Saturday. "It's not clear exactly what the problem was, but the important thing is now the biscuits are with us," WFP spokesman Marcus Prior said. On Saturday, three UN flights from Thailand, Cambodia and Dubai delivered 5.6 tons of high-energy biscuits, 30 tons of relief equipment and other supplies, he said. The WFP and the Burmese government have agreed to jointly distribute aid supplies to victims of Cyclone Nargis. The supplies include generators and equipment to construct temporary offices and accommodation. WFP is working with NGO partners, the Burmese Red Cross and the government. Tens of thousands are believed dead and more than 40,000 missing after Cyclone Nargis slammed into Burma's Irrawaddy Delta and Rangoon on May 2 and 3. But aid is only slowly arriving in Burma, and few foreign disaster experts have been granted visas. Aid workers have warned that many more will die from disease and starvation if significant amounts of aid don't arrive soon. WFP was distributing in the worst hit areas, and so far 30,000 people have received food aid. The number is increasing every day but an estimated 750,000 people still need help. "We need to move more supplies into the country," Prior said. Clean drinking water is a critical need at the moment, he said. World Vision, which said that two of its foreign aid workers have now been granted visas, were hoping for more overseas shipments from Japan and Australia next week. World Vision has already distributed humanitarian aid to 78,000 people in the Rangoon area. East said the agency was able to control its aid distribution in Rangoon. People from hard-hit areas have begun migrating to other towns, East said. World Vision was preparing to arrange convoys to help survivors make the 60-to-70 kilometer journey from the delta's southern coast north to Myaung Mya town. < Prev   Next >