Money pours in for Burma, which creaks open door
By Deutsche Presse-Agentur
Money poured in to the United Nations to help Burma recover from the cyclone disaster while the military government creaked open the door slightly for aid deliveries.
International aid organizations warned Friday that diphtheria, cholera and malaria could spread in an epidemic of "apocalyptic proportions" if medical, food, water and other types of aid are not allowed to land, along with trained personnel to administer the support.
The World Food Programme agreed to resume relief flights into Burma after suspending them when government authorities impounded 38 tons of aid it had delivered to the disaster-struck country.
After Cyclone Nargis levelled the low-lying Irrawaddy Delta area of the south-east Asian country nearly a week ago, death toll estimates have grown.
While the government has confirmed 23,000 deaths and another 42,000 missing, UN officials on Friday estimated the death toll will climb to 63,000 to 100,000 based on reports from 18 aid organizations working in 55 devastated Burmese townships.
In a sign that the Burmese government was more open to receiving aid, it gave permission to a US military aircraft to make one C-130 cargo plane delivery on Monday, Gordon Johndroe, spokesman for the National Security Council, said.
The International Federation of the Red Cross (IFRC) in Geneva said humanitarian aid had reached around 220,000 people, despite logistical difficulties.
Diplomatic efforts to pressure the military junta to allow in more aid were continuing.
US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice on Thursday talked with the Chinese and Indian foreign ministers, urging them to "use whatever leverage they have with that top decision-making layer in the Burmese regime to get them to reverse the course that they have been on," and allow in further international assistance, State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said.
The UN said it had received pledges of 77 million dollars out of the total of 187 million dollars that it has asked for to fund international relief efforts.
In New York, UN officials said that Nargis could be the worst cyclone to hit Asia since 1991, when 138,000 were killed in Bangladesh.
"Based on assessment of 18 agencies and their assessment in 55 townships, we estimate currently that the number of severely affected population lies between 1.2 and 1.9 million," said John Holmes, the UN undersecretary general for emergency relief efforts.
An estimated 13 million people of Burma's population of 53 million live in areas hit by the cyclone.
Tim Costello, chief executive of World Vision Australia, told reporters through a video link to London that rescue workers were in a "race against time" and warned of an epidemic of "apocalyptic proportions" that could follow the cyclone.
"We certainly know that once an epidemic starts it's difficult to stop and becomes of apocalyptic proportions. The potential for this epidemic is extremely probable," said Costello.
While the UN reported problems acquiring visas for its relief teams, the Red Cross said seven of its people so far had been granted entry and they expected more to enter the country in the coming days.
US Ambassador to the United Nations Zalmay Khalilzad said the UN should reinforce immediately its relief activities before the death toll climbs higher. He said a US warship is off the Gulf of Thailand with 23 helicopters that could be used to ferry aid to Burma in addition to the initial donation of 5 million dollars.
"We are prepared to do more and we urge the Myanmar government to immediately give access to the UN and the entry to all humanitarian personnel regardless of their nationalities," Khalilzad said.
Japan pledged another 10 million dollars while some other Asian nations like Thailand, Vietnam, Singapore and the Philippines pledged between 200,000 dollars and 1 million dollars.
Bangkok's Independent Newspaper
The unravelling of the burmese junta
Published on May 10, 2008
Today's referendum aside, Cyclone Nargis might spell the end of the generals' heartless rule
Today a portion of Burma's population will vote in a nationwide referendum on the country's new charter, imposed on them by the military junta. Of course, they don't have much of a choice. To vote against the junta is dangerous and anything can happen. Not all voters will vote today, as those in areas devastated by Cyclone Nargis will vote at a later date.
Despite the UN's appeal for it to concentrate on helping the victims of the cyclone last weekend, the junta is adamant that the referendum continue despite growing problems resulting from the disaster. Apparently, the junta's leaders put their people's well-being second to their political schemes. The generals are concerned about their political survival and everything must go according to plan.
In the Buddhist world, whatever you do, whether actions that bring you merit or evil deeds, will come back to you. Nobody can escape the results of one's own actions or, as we call it, destiny. In this sense, one may regard the cyclone tragedy as an act of "karma", because for the Buddhist Burmese junta it was an act of punishment for all the bad deeds they have inflicted on the Burmese people over nearly two decades, not to mention their killing of innocent monks last September, which is the greatest evil of all. Indeed, we might witness the unravelling of the regime led by these heartless junta leaders who have ruled Burma without mercy. Mother Nature can unleash its power in unimaginable ways.
UN agencies and select international organisations have dispatched emergency aid and humanitarian assistance over the past few days, but more would be coming from around the world if junta leaders allowed it. At the moment, despite pledges from Burmese authorities that they would facilitate the entry of foreign aid workers into the country, hundreds of them remain stranded in Thailand and other neighbouring countries. Further delays could worsen the situation and further increase the death toll, which is already believed to have exceeded 100,000.
At this juncture, all donor countries have put their political positions aside, especially the US and EU countries. They have come together with the goal of helping the Burmese people as their top priority. China has been no exception; it has moved quickly to aid Burma. Beijing knows full well that foreign aid if unchecked would further complicate the political situation in the future. But then, to cope with a disaster like this no single country can effectively deal with the myriad problems involved. Only a well-coordinated and sustainable plan can alleviate the hardships the cyclone has caused.
Along with the international community, Asean as a group can do more than its members can individually. The grouping is stuck with its non-interference principle, even in a situation like this, and Asean is unable to do anything collectively. Asean Secretary-General Surin Pitsuwan has already appealed to Burma's leaders to cooperate with Asean and international donors. During the East Timor crisis in 1999, Indonesia showed the Asean spirit by inviting Asean peacekeeping efforts to help with the situation there. That helped ease the peacekeeping operations and the overall peace process in the months that followed.
It is about time for Burma to display the same solidarity with Asean. The grouping can only move when Burma invites it in. If that does not happen, only individual member countries can provide minimal relief assistance. Other regional organisations - such as the EU and the African Union - have mechanisms in place to provide emergency relief for member countries.
People's lives matter more than the junta. By being on the ground in Burma, Asean could use its reputation to draw in additional aid. It is absurd indeed to think that Asean as a group cannot do anything. The Asean Charter, which is waiting for ratification by all, will mean nothing if the Burmese people continue to suffer and die due to the intransigence of the junta. Asean's leaders should act in solidarity to bring the burden of responsibility to bear on the junta. A failure to do so will hurt Asean and its future.
Bangkok's Independent Newspaper
You think a war on top of a natural disaster will improve things? And who's going to provide the troops? UK & USA certainly can't - they're too busy "sorting out" Iraq & Afghanistan.
