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May 12, 2008

First U.S. Aid Is Sent to Myanmar, but More Is Needed

The United States has sent its first airlift of supplies to Myanmar in the wake of the cyclone that hit the country last week, but further humanitarian efforts have been largely blocked by the country’s government, reports The Wall Street Journal.

The World Food Program, an agency of the United Nations, estimates that aid has reached only 30,000 survivors, and only a small number of warehouses and distribution centers are in place to give aid to needy people. Aid workers say as many as two million people have been displaced by the cyclone. The death toll could be as high as 100,000 people, with many more lives threatened due to the lack of clean water and sanitation.

The military government of Myanmar has resisted allowing foreign aid workers to enter the country due to fears of civil unrest. It has granted only a small number of visas to experienced U.N. personnel.

Terje Skavdal, a U.N. disaster-response expert in Bangkok, said, “With each day passing, concern about the survivors is increasing. We could have done much more if we’d had more openness.”

Monday May 12, 2008 | Permalink

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