United Nations Frustrated in Burma
UN Ban Ki-Moon Concerned by Junta's Response to Cyclone Nargis
May 13, 2008
The United Nations have expressed deep frustration at the Burmese regime’s reluctance to facilitate relief efforts in the cyclone hit region.
U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon said Burma’s response was ‘unacceptable’ given the situation two weeks after Cyclone Nargis devastated the delta region of the country.
“I want to register my deep concern - and immense frustration - at the unacceptably slow response to this grave humanitarian crisis,” he told reporters in New York.
“The official death toll reported by the Government of Myanmar, has risen to 31,938 with 34,460 people missing. International relief agencies report far higher figures. The estimate of those currently at severe risk is in the neighbourhood of 1.5 million.”
He warned: “We are at a critical point. Unless more aid gets into the country - very quickly - we face an outbreak of infectious diseases that could dwarf today’s crisis. I, therefore, call, in the most strenuous terms, on the Government of Myanmar to put its people’s lives first. It must do all that it can to prevent this disaster from becoming even more serious.”
The Secretary-General stressed however, that despite the self imposed isolationism adopted by the military junta which is hampering the humanitarian effort, any decision of imposing further sanctions on the regime had to go through the Security Council.
“This is up to the members of the Security Council, to decide whether they will discuss or take up this matter. But, at this time, what I am focusing on is to deliver humanitarian assistance as soon as possible. I would like to make this issue on purely humanitarian grounds,” he said in response to direct action.
“This is one of the poor countries, and it has been isolated. This is kind of some self-imposed isolation, unfortunately. They seem to be not fully confident in coming out to the international community.
“At this time of humanitarian crisis, the magnitude of this humanitarian crisis, is not the time when you are talking about politics. We are now talking only about saving human lives and how to stem the spread of diseases and how to keep humanitarian assistance flowing, as we have experienced in the case of the tsunami, which happened in the Indian Ocean.”
Despite the difficulties, UN agencies report that they have been active on the ground.
The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) is using boats and vehicles to provide immediate assistance to people in 19 locations in the affected area, whilst the World Food Programme (WFP) has reached 27,000 people in the Irrawaddy delta with crucial food supplies and the World Health Organization (WHO) has deployed experts to support Government relief efforts and to supply emergency health kits.
Meanwhile, the government are still refusing to admit foreigners and in particular foreign journalists into the delta region.
