Myanmar

Aid trickles in, but relief work 'unacceptably slow': UN

Article published on the 2008-05-12 Latest update 2008-05-12 18:40 TU

People in Yangon line up for water
(Photo : Luc Auberger)

The United Nations says the relief operation for cyclone-struck Myanmar is currently meeting ten percent of the need in water, food and supplies as UN chief Ban Ki-moon Monday called on the ruling junta to speed up relief aid distribution. The United States made its first aid flight to Myanmar Monday. Meanwhile, the UN has warned that bottlenecks are preventing relief from reaching most of the 1.5 million survivors.

"Today is the 11th day since typhoon Nargis hit Myanmar. I want to register my deep concern and immense frustration on the unacceptably slow response to this growing crisis," said Ban at a press conference on Monday.

He warned that a major outbreak of infectious diseases could break out if help doesn't arrive sooner.

Cyclone Nargis hit the Myanmar coast on May 3, leaving 62,000 dead or missing and 1.5 million survivors throughout the country unable to cope without the basic supplies of food, water or shelter.

French-based Médicins sans Frontières says a relief plane has arrived with supplies. Operations chief for the organisation, Carole Dro-Mère said that they are working in Yangon, but hope to go to the Irawaddy D

elta by Wednesday.

A US military plane also flew more than 12 tonnes of  emergency aid to Myanmar on Monday, in a rare concession by the Myanmar military junta that rules the country, and has two more aid deliveries lined up. The US had offered a much larger deployment which would include the stricken Irawaddy Delta, but this has been refused by government officials so far.

Yangon is deeply mistrustful of the United States, which worsened after the US imposed sanctions 10 years ago over human rights abuses and Aung San Suu Kyi's detention.

A first British aid flight was approved to fly to the country to deliver plastic sheets in order to shelter 9,000 families left homeless in the capital. Four more planeloads of emergency goods are on standby.

British aid agency Oxfam discounted the use of aid drops in the most remote areas.

"If there isn't an aid operation on the ground to distribute the aid, the air drops can exacerbate any tense relations within communities with only the fittest and fastest benefitting," said Jane Cocking, Oxfam's humanitarian director.