AP
Posted: 2008-05-13 05:02:22
YANGON, Myanmar (AP) - The U.N. said Tuesday that only a tiny portion of international aid is reaching Myanmar’s cyclone victims, as reports emerged that the country’s military regime is hoarding higher-quality foreign aid for itself and doling out rotten food.
“There is obviously still a lot of frustration that this aid effort hasn’t picked up pace” 10 days after the cyclone hit, said Richard Horsey, the spokesman for the U.N. humanitarian operation in Bangkok, the capital of neighboring Thailand.
Cyclone Nargis devastated Myanmar’s Irrawaddy delta on May 3, leaving about 62,000 people dead or missing according to the government count. The U.N. has suggested the death toll is likely to be more than 100,000.
With their homes washed away and large tracts of land under water, some 2 million survivors -mostly poor rice farmers - are living in abject misery, facing disease and starvation.
The U.N. said the World Food Program is getting in 20 percent of the food needed because of bottlenecks, logistics problems and government-imposed restrictions.
“That is a characterization of the program as a whole. We are not reaching enough people quickly enough,” Horsey told The Associated Press.
The survivors are packed into Buddhist monasteries or camping in the open, drinking dirty water contaminated by dead bodies and animal carcasses. Food and medicines are scarce.
The military - which has ruled the country with an iron fist since 1962 - has taken control of most aid sent by other countries including the United States.
The regime told a U.S. military commander who delivered the first American shipment Monday that storm victims’ basic needs are being fulfilled - and that “skillful humanitarian workers are not necessary.”
But the junta’s words and actions have only served to back up complaints that the military is appropriating the aid for itself.
A longtime foreign resident of Myanmar’s biggest city, Yangon, told the AP in Bangkok by telephone that angry government officials have complained to him about the military misappropriating aid.
He said the officials told him that quantities of the high-energy biscuits rushed into Myanmar on the World Food Program’s first flights were sent to a military warehouse.
They were exchanged by what the officials said were “tasteless and low-quality” biscuits produced by the Industry Ministry to be handed out to cyclone victims, the foreign resident said.
He spoke on condition of anonymity because identifying himself could jeopardize his safety.
He said it was not known what has been happening to the high quality food - whether it is being sold on the black market or consumed by the military.
The claim appeared to be backed up on the ground.
CARE Australia’s country director in Myanmar, Brian Agland, said members of his local staff brought back some of the rotting rice that’s being distributed in the delta.
“I have a small sample in my pocket, and it’s some of the poorest quality rice we’ve seen,” he said. “It’s affected by salt water and it’s very old.”
It’s unclear whether the rice, which is dark gray in color and consists of very small grains, is coming from the government or from mills in the area or warehouses hit by the cyclone.
“We were using food from the World Food Program, which is very high quality,” Agland said by telephone from Yangon. “Certainly, we are concerned that (poor quality rice) is being distributed. The level of nutrition is very low.”
The foreign resident also said several businessmen have been told to give the government cash donations of no less than 2 million kyat (US$1,800) each to aid cyclone victims.
Companies involved have included jade mining concerns in Hpakant, restaurants and construction companies in Yangon, he said.
The authoritarian junta has barred nearly all foreigners experienced in managing such catastrophes from going to the delta west of Yangon, and is expelling those who have managed to go in.
Jean-Sebastien Matte, an emergency coordinator with Médecins Sans Frontières, said his foreign staff have repeatedly been forced to return to Yangon from the delta.
“We can go for two days and then we have to come back,” he said. “We’re able to do 100 or 200 consultations a day but we should be doing 1,000.”
Armed police checkpoints were set up outside Yangon on the roads to the delta, and all foreigners were being sent back by policemen who took down their names and passport numbers.
“No foreigners allowed,” a policeman said Tuesday after waving a car back.
After its first aid delivery Monday, the U.S. sent in one more cargo plane Tuesday with 19,900 pounds (9,026 kilograms) of blankets, water and mosquito netting. A third flight was to take in a 24,750-pound (11,226-kilogram) load.
U.S. Marine Lt. Col. Douglas Powell said that the situation remained fluid, but that flights were expected to continue after Tuesday - which appears to broaden the original agreement for three flights on Monday and Tuesday.
Yangon was pounded by heavy rain Monday and more downpours were expected throughout the week, further hindering aid deliveries.
But for many, the rainwater was the only source of clean drinking water.