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| Stacks of boxes containing
water tablets wait to be flown from Singapore to Myanmar last
week. Pic: AFP/Roslan Rahman |
In the wake of Cyclone Nargis the government has now upgraded
the toll of those dead to 77,738 and those missing to 55,917,
a sharp rise from the figures of 43,000 dead and 27,838 missing
from just a day earlier.
However, the pace of relief efforts continues to gain momentum
following intensive efforts by both the government and international
aid donors during the past week.
“Due to difficulties that occurred after the storm, bad
weather and extensive search in every storm-hit region, the lists
could be confirmed only on May 15,” the announcement in
the state-owned New Light of Myanmar newspaper said.
The worst-affected areas were the towns of Labutta, Pyapon and
Mawlamyinegyun in Ayeyarwady Division, whose residents, according
to the UN, are in need of emergency medical care, clean water
and shelter.
UN emergency relief coordinator Mr John Holmes was due to fly
to Yangon on Sunday to hold talks with the government on widening
humanitarian assistance to the storm-affected region.
Meanwhile, the government said it was doing its best to deliver
emergency relief supplies provided by the government, other countries
and aid agencies.
“The government is making its best efforts to clear debris
[and provide] access to safe drinking water, electricity, communication
services and smooth transportation,” Myanmar’s ambassador
to the UN in Geneva, U Wunna Maung Lwin, said on May 16.
U Wunna Maung Lwin was quoted as saying in a statement released
by his office that “1700 UN personnel from 10 UN agencies,
the UN country team, 10,000 volunteers from the national Red Cross
network and national and international NGOs are actively working
together with the government in the relief efforts”.
He added that six military divisions had also been deployed
to help with relief efforts.
U Wunna Maung Lwin said the government has provided K20 billion
for relief, with another K5.5 billion contributed by local businesses.
“But we are still struggling with a shortage of clean
water, electricity outages and telecommunications break-downs,”
he said.
He appealed for help from the outside world for farmers and
fishermen in Ayeyarwady Division, which is a major rice-growing
and fish-producing region.
“The storm not only took the lives and property of people
but also destroyed the daily livelihood of all peoples in the
affected areas,” he said.
The UN Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO) said the government
has estimated that US$243 million would be needed to help farmers
grow paddy in the upcoming season.
“Time is running out. If rice seed is not received within
the next 40 to 50 days, planting will not happen in time for harvesting
this year,” FAO spokesperson Mr Diderik De Vleeschauwer
told reporters in Rome on May 16.
He said the impact of the cyclone extended well inland, destroying
rice fields and food stores.
The UN has also offered other technical assistance to Myanmar
and issued an appeal last week for US$200 million for relief efforts,
at the same time urging the government to allow more of its staff
to visit disaster areas.
The United States also flew more than 100 tonnes of relief supplies
– including water, food and blankets – to Myanmar
last week. The supplies were part of more than $3 million the
US has pledged to provide for cyclone victims.
Britain announced on May 15 that it would give 12 million (about
$24 million), adding to its earlier pledge of 5 million.
Total funding from the 36 countries that have pledged to contribute
to relief efforts reached nearly $100 million last week.
The Myanmar ambassador to the UN in New York, U Kyaw Tint Swe,
informed the UN last week that the government was ready to receive
160 humanitarian relief workers from Bangladesh, China, India
and Thailand, as well as an assessment team from the Association
of Southeast Asian Nations, of which Myanmar is a member.
Reports said the relief and assessment teams from Myanmar’s
neighbours arrived to the country late last week.
As part of regional efforts to help the government deal with
the situation, Thailand’s Prime Minister Mr Samak Sundaravej
flew to Yangon on May 14 to hold talks with his Myanmar counterpart,
General Thein Sein, on the offer by Thailand and other countries
to send more relief workers.
“I was told that 27 countries offered to send relief workers
to Myanmar as it can manage to solve its own problem,” Mr
Samak told the state-owned Thai News Agency after returning to
Bangkok.
Mr Samak told the news agency that Gen Thein Sein assured him
that there were no outbreaks of disease, starvation or famine
in Myanmar among the cyclone survivors who had been transported
to safe areas.
The UN said on May 14 that the government had issued visas for
40 UN relief workers as well as for 46 workers from international
non-governmental organisations to visit Myanmar to help the government’s
relief efforts.
The government issued a warning that it would take action against
anyone involved in the misappropriation of relief goods and funds
intended for cyclone victims.
“Anyone may inform us if he witnesses or knows that the
cash assistance and relief supplies donated to the storm victims
are kept for self interest, traded, used for particular persons
or organisations or misappropriated for other purpose,”
said a May 15 announcement from the National Disaster Preparedness
Central Committee, headed by Gen Thein Sein.
“We hereby announce that we have made all necessary arrangements
to conduct investigations into the cases to expose the offenders
and take punitive action against them in accordance with the law,”
the announcement said.
Meanwhile, ASEAN foreign ministers were scheduled to meet in
Singapore on Monday to draw up a regional relief plan for cyclone
victims.
Foreign Minister U Nyan Win was expected to brief the meeting
on the government’s relief efforts for cyclone victims.
The meeting will also hear a report from the ASEAN assessment
team.
“All agencies and institutions pledged full support for
the emerging ASEAN-led ‘Coalition of Mercy’ for the
Myanmar relief effort. Each will contribute its particular strength
and expertise,” ASEAN secretary general Mr Surin Pitsuwan
was quoted as saying in a press release issued last week.
“Our utmost concern is for [the] victims of cyclone Nargis
who are awaiting assistance in all forms from the outside world
now,” Mr Surin said.
The ASEAN team will comprise experts with specific knowledge
in coordination and liaison, water and sanitation, health, logistics
and food.
“Following [the] assessment, the teams from the ASEAN
member states will be deployed to Myanmar to provide targeted
assistance which supports the capacity of the government of Myanmar
to implement useful and effective aid distribution to the affected
population,” Mr Surin said.
