The United Nations has warned that time is running out to get aid to the victims of cyclone Nargis. The ruling junta said on Friday that it was "not ready" for the arrival of foreign search and rescue teams after the deadly cyclone, announcing that some aid workers had been deported.
Myanmar state media have said nearly 23,000 people died and about 42,000 are missing after Cyclone Nargis swept through the country last Friday night. But aid workers and embassy officials say the death toll could top 100,000. Humanitarian groups have warned that a second wave of deaths through the spread of disease can only be averted if they can act quickly.
Officials in Yangon reiterated on Friday that they were ready to accept international aid but insisted that they would distribute it themselves. The Foreign Ministry said that the country was "not ready" to admit international humanitarian workers, dozens of whom are awaiting visas in the Thai capital, Bangkok. The Myanmar embassy in Bangkok has now shut down for a public holiday which lasts until next Tuesday.
A handful of foreign aid flights have arrived in Yangon, but the junta has so far blocked a larger international effort. A French navy ship loaded with 1,500 tonnes of humanitarian aid is on the way to Myanmar, and should arrive next Thursday. However, authorities are still not sure how the aid will be distributed.
Yesterday, at the United Nations, French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner called on the UN Security Council to adopt a resolution to force Yangon to accept international humanitarian aid. China opposed the idea, and UN humanitarian chief John Holmes said that it was preferable to prioritise dialogue with Myanmar's military junta. The United States floated the idea of dropping food and other aid into the country without the authorisation of its rulers. However, US Defence Secretary Robert Gates also stated a preference for obtaining permission from the junta before intervening. Myanmar has so far ignored US aid offers.
On Friday, democracy activists, Buddhist monks and exiled student leaders urged the world to deliver emergency aid to cyclone victims without waiting for approval from Myanmar's military regime. The groups also claimed that the regime is concentrating its resources on holding a constitutional referendum this Saturday, rather than on the rescue effort.
The Hong-Kong-based Asian Human Rights Commission called on Myanmar's allies, such as China, and other neighbours in the region, to exert pressure on the regime to respond more effectively to the crisis. Aid agencies also raised concerns that a longer-term relief effort will be hampered by rising rice prices.
