The United States has delivered its first airlift of relief supplies to Burma for victims of this month’s cyclone as the estimated death toll from the disaster rises to over 30,000.
A military C-130 cargo plane packed with supplies left a Thai air force base earlier today and landed in Burma’s biggest city, Rangoon. Two more air shipments are scheduled to land tomorrow.
After the plane’s arrival, the supplies were transferred to Burmese army trucks.
Allowing the US flight is a huge concession by Burma’s military government, which sees Washington as its enemy. The junta also generally has refused to allow international relief experts, and has slowed delivery of aid by the UN with red tape.
While the junta is accepting some aid from the outside world, including the United Nations, it will not let in foreign logistics teams, who were queuing up in Bangkok hoping to get visas from the Burmese embassy.
US diplomatic and military officials have been pushing hard for approval to send American personnel to help after the disaster. The military effort has been limited to a mere trickle, however, because Burma’s isolated and deeply suspicious governing junta has refused or severely restricted outside help.
Officials have said they will not force the issue and no aid will be flown in without the Burmese government’s permission. Today’s flight was filled with humanitarian aid, such as blankets, mosquito nets and water which was provided by a governmental aid agency, not the military itself, and officials stressed that the flight was unarmed.
The Irish Red Cross has promised to fund tents, tarpaulins and other shelter materials in a pledge of €50,000 to the international Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent societies' Myanmar Appeal.
Prime Minister Gordon Brown today urged the Burmese authorities to give “unfettered access” to humanitarian agencies seeking to help survivors of the country’s devastating cyclone.
“We now estimate that two million people face famine or disease as a result of the lack of co-operation of the Burmese authorities. This is completely unacceptable.""
Burmese state television announced yesterday that the death toll from Cyclone Nargis had jumped by about 5,000 to 28,458, with another 33,416 still missing.
International aid groups say they fear the number could reach 100,000, and Oxfam said up to 15 times that number could face death from a public health catastrophe if people do not get clean water and sanitation soon.
The UN humanitarian agency said in a new assessment yesterday that between 1.2 million and 1.9 million were struggling to survive in the aftermath of the storm that struck eight days ago.
"Given the gravity of the situation including the lack of food and water, some partners have reported fears for security, and violent behaviour in the most severely afflicted areas," the United Nations Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said.
It said "the number of deaths could range from 63,290 to 101,682, and 220,000 people are reported to be missing". It said "acute environmental issues" posed a threat to life and health. The European Commission has called for an urgent meeting of European Union ministers in charge of humanitarian aid tomorrow to beef up the EU response to the emergency, the Commission said in a statement.
Medecins Sans Frontieres said yesterday three cargo planes from Europe carrying medical material and other supplies was scheduled to arrive in Burma today.
"More than one week after the disaster, despite the sending of three cargo planes and some positive signals, it has been very difficult to provide highly needed supplies for the heavily affected population in Myanmar," MSF said in a statement. "In the areas where we have been, we haven't seen any aid being delivered so far, so the amount that has reached people in the areas where we are had been minimal."
MSF had a large presence in Burma before the cyclone. Aid agencies that did not are having even greater difficulties.