ASEAN CHIEF OPENS A LITTLE BIG HIS MOUTH TO SAY BURMA
The Burmese military regime must begin to allow foreign aid workers unhindered access to the areas hardest-hit by Cyclone Nargis soon if it hopes to keep the trust of the international aid community, Asean chief Surin Pitsuwan said Tuesday.
"What has to be delivered is real activities," said Surin, who is secretary general of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.
Asean, along with the United Nations co-hosted a pledging conference for the victims of Cyclone Nargis in Rangoon over the weekend and their reputations are on the line to help to deliver the junta's pledges.
While the conference, attended by about 500 delegates from 51 countries and UN agencies, failed to attract an outpouring of promises for Burma's post-cyclone reconstruction efforts, it was deemed an important first step in building trust between the international aid community and the country's notoriously paranoid military rulers.
The regime has been under intense criticism for hampering an international relief effort for the estimated 2.4 million people affected by Nargis, which swept the country's central coast on May 2-3, leaving at least 133,000 dead or missing.
More than three weeks after the storm hit, international aid has reached 40 per cent of the affected population, a poor performance generally blamed on the government's refusal to facilitate logistics and allow more international relief experts in the Irrawaddy Delta region, the area hardest-hit by the cyclone.
UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon on Friday won assurance from junta chief, Snr Gen Than Shwe, that his country would allow "all" aid workers unhindered access to the storm-affected areas, a message that was seemingly supported at Sunday's aid pledging conference.
Although there have been signs of speeding up visa approvals and allowing greater access to the delta for UN relief experts, there are still complaints of unnecessary delays to the big aid push.
"There are many low-hanging fruits that can be harvested, and those include accessibility, delivering of supplies already on the ground, monitoring, and the ability to admit and allow foreign aid workers into the field with less obstacles and less delay," Surin said of what was immediately expected of the junta.
He called on the international community to allow the regime a few more days before deciding whether it was reneging on its commitment to allow more foreigners in.
"I think we need to give it a week to say the curve is rising or the curve is being maintained at the same level or the curve of access is actually going down," Surin said a press conference.
Asean is to play a crucial facilitating role in the aid flow, especially for the reconstruction phase, by sending in teams to assess the amount of damage done by the cyclone and joining a tripartite "core team" with nine experts from Asean, the United Nations and Burma to overcome hurdles to the aid operations.
The United Nations wants a clear assessment of the cyclone's destruction and emergency aid needed by June 12, after which it was to launch another flash appeal for donations from the world community.
About 50 per cent of the $201 million flash appeal initially launched by the United Nations has been met by contributions and pledges.
"The tone struck by the major donors on Sunday was that they are ready to give significant assistance to a clear programme that is monitored and which can be implemented," said Richard Horsey, spokesman for the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.
Confidence in implementation would depend, once again, upon the degree of access by foreign experts who are allowed into the cyclone zone.
Several UN agencies, including the World Food Programme, have said they have been granted more visas and greater access to the delta since Friday although still with the need for permission on a case-by-case basis.
"Yesterday was a red-letter day with seven visas applied for and seven visas issued," said Paul Risley, a World Food Programme spokesman.
Over the weekend and for the first time, at least one foreign expert with the UN aid agency was allowed to tour the delta to assess food needs, and on Tuesday, it is to be permitted to fly its own helicopter to three remote destinations in the delta that were previously off-limits, Risley said.
But the Burmese bureaucracy continues to bog down the process.
"Every step of the way has been very difficult," said Risley. "Every step has required an agreement with the government, clearance from the government and approval from the government of virtually all of our actions."
"What has to be delivered is real activities," said Surin, who is secretary general of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.
Asean, along with the United Nations co-hosted a pledging conference for the victims of Cyclone Nargis in Rangoon over the weekend and their reputations are on the line to help to deliver the junta's pledges.
While the conference, attended by about 500 delegates from 51 countries and UN agencies, failed to attract an outpouring of promises for Burma's post-cyclone reconstruction efforts, it was deemed an important first step in building trust between the international aid community and the country's notoriously paranoid military rulers.
The regime has been under intense criticism for hampering an international relief effort for the estimated 2.4 million people affected by Nargis, which swept the country's central coast on May 2-3, leaving at least 133,000 dead or missing.
More than three weeks after the storm hit, international aid has reached 40 per cent of the affected population, a poor performance generally blamed on the government's refusal to facilitate logistics and allow more international relief experts in the Irrawaddy Delta region, the area hardest-hit by the cyclone.
UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon on Friday won assurance from junta chief, Snr Gen Than Shwe, that his country would allow "all" aid workers unhindered access to the storm-affected areas, a message that was seemingly supported at Sunday's aid pledging conference.
Although there have been signs of speeding up visa approvals and allowing greater access to the delta for UN relief experts, there are still complaints of unnecessary delays to the big aid push.
"There are many low-hanging fruits that can be harvested, and those include accessibility, delivering of supplies already on the ground, monitoring, and the ability to admit and allow foreign aid workers into the field with less obstacles and less delay," Surin said of what was immediately expected of the junta.
He called on the international community to allow the regime a few more days before deciding whether it was reneging on its commitment to allow more foreigners in.
"I think we need to give it a week to say the curve is rising or the curve is being maintained at the same level or the curve of access is actually going down," Surin said a press conference.
Asean is to play a crucial facilitating role in the aid flow, especially for the reconstruction phase, by sending in teams to assess the amount of damage done by the cyclone and joining a tripartite "core team" with nine experts from Asean, the United Nations and Burma to overcome hurdles to the aid operations.
The United Nations wants a clear assessment of the cyclone's destruction and emergency aid needed by June 12, after which it was to launch another flash appeal for donations from the world community.
About 50 per cent of the $201 million flash appeal initially launched by the United Nations has been met by contributions and pledges.
"The tone struck by the major donors on Sunday was that they are ready to give significant assistance to a clear programme that is monitored and which can be implemented," said Richard Horsey, spokesman for the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.
Confidence in implementation would depend, once again, upon the degree of access by foreign experts who are allowed into the cyclone zone.
Several UN agencies, including the World Food Programme, have said they have been granted more visas and greater access to the delta since Friday although still with the need for permission on a case-by-case basis.
"Yesterday was a red-letter day with seven visas applied for and seven visas issued," said Paul Risley, a World Food Programme spokesman.
Over the weekend and for the first time, at least one foreign expert with the UN aid agency was allowed to tour the delta to assess food needs, and on Tuesday, it is to be permitted to fly its own helicopter to three remote destinations in the delta that were previously off-limits, Risley said.
But the Burmese bureaucracy continues to bog down the process.
"Every step of the way has been very difficult," said Risley. "Every step has required an agreement with the government, clearance from the government and approval from the government of virtually all of our actions."
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