Posted: Thursday, 8 May 2008, New York Author: iSeek
Secretary-General BAN Ki-moon and Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, John Holmes, have urged Myanmar authorities to facilitate the delivery of aid in the wake of the deadly cyclone that wreaked death and unprecedented devastation in the country on Friday and Saturday, 2 and 3 May.
At the second Noon briefing in as many days, Mr. Holmes said on Thursday, 8 May that the situation is "increasingly desperate on the ground," with a real danger that an even worse tragedy could unfold.
In a 7 May statement, the Secretary-General said that given the magnitude of this disaster, he is urging the Government of Myanmar "to respond to the outpouring of international support and solidarity by facilitating the arrival of aid workers and the clearance of relief supplies in every way possible."
The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), which is coordinating the UN relief effort and involves some 23 UN agencies and NGO's, is endeavoring "to make sure that aid does get through as fast as possible." However, as USG Holmes remarked at the briefing, the "situation is extremely worrying" and he is "disappointed by the progress." The United Nations is "simply trying to help people." He added that they would keep on pressing hard to facilitate access and for bureaucratic changes, such as waiving customs charges. "The border is not closed. It's simply not as open as it should be."
The UN is mobilizing international aid and assistance to survivors of Cyclone Nargis, which swept through the Irrawaddy delta region and Yangon, Myanmar's largest city. Although international media reports put the death toll at exceeding 100,000 and rising, the official figures as of 8 May stand at 23,000 confirmed dead and 42,000 missing. There are unconfirmed reports that 10,000 are reported as having died in the Delta town of Bogalay alone.
Buildings and infrastructure have been severely damaged, and flooding is widespread. The low-lying delta region also suffered from the effects of a sizable storm surge, which is feared to have wiped out whole villages.
Two of four members of a Disaster Assessment and Coordination (UNDAC) team are on the ground in Yangon. The other two are still awaiting entry permission. Mr. Holmes reported that at least 40 visas for UN staff are still pending. There are over 1,650 UN personnel on the ground in Myanmar, of whom 75 to 80 are international staff. USG Holmes has urged Myanmar to waive visa restrictions, which he said were slowing efforts to bring in relief experts and supplies.
The combined total population of the declared disaster areas – five states and divisions originally (Yangon, Ayeyarwady, Bago, Mon and Kayin), changed to two as of 8 May (Yangon, Ayeyarwady) – is around 24 million, or nearly half the country's population. It is expected that more than 1.5 million people are severely affected and in need of urgent humanitarian assistance.
Water and fuel shortages are being reported. The food security situation in the country, which was already severe, looks set to become far more acute. Damaged infrastructure and communications will pose major logistical problems for relief operations. "Shelter is one of the key things," said USG Holmes.
The World Food Programme (WFP) succeeded in landing four cargo flights on 8 May at Yangon airport, while UNICEF is working on providing tenting, plastic sheeting and water purification tablets. Mr. Holmes also reported progress on clearing roads, essential to dealing with corpses properly in order to avoid subsequent health issues.
Earlier, Rashid Khalikov, Director of the OCHA's New York Office appealed to the international community to support the relief effort that is unfolding.
The Humanitarian Country Team has finalized a first draft of the Flash Appeal despite significant logistical difficulties. It is envisaged that a Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) grant will be made against the Appeal document and that the appeal will be launched on Friday, 9 May.
At the second Noon briefing in as many days, Mr. Holmes said on Thursday, 8 May that the situation is "increasingly desperate on the ground," with a real danger that an even worse tragedy could unfold.
In a 7 May statement
The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA
The UN is mobilizing international aid and assistance to survivors of Cyclone Nargis, which swept through the Irrawaddy delta region and Yangon, Myanmar's largest city. Although international media reports put the death toll at exceeding 100,000 and rising, the official figures as of 8 May stand at 23,000 confirmed dead and 42,000 missing. There are unconfirmed reports that 10,000 are reported as having died in the Delta town of Bogalay alone.
Buildings and infrastructure have been severely damaged, and flooding is widespread. The low-lying delta region also suffered from the effects of a sizable storm surge, which is feared to have wiped out whole villages.
Two of four members of a Disaster Assessment and Coordination (UNDAC
The combined total population of the declared disaster areas – five states and divisions originally (Yangon, Ayeyarwady, Bago, Mon and Kayin), changed to two as of 8 May (Yangon, Ayeyarwady) – is around 24 million, or nearly half the country's population. It is expected that more than 1.5 million people are severely affected and in need of urgent humanitarian assistance.
Water and fuel shortages are being reported. The food security situation in the country, which was already severe, looks set to become far more acute. Damaged infrastructure and communications will pose major logistical problems for relief operations. "Shelter is one of the key things," said USG Holmes.
The World Food Programme (WFP
Earlier, Rashid Khalikov, Director of the OCHA's New York Office appealed to the international community to support the relief effort that is unfolding.
The Humanitarian Country Team has finalized a first draft of the Flash Appeal despite significant logistical difficulties. It is envisaged that a Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF
0 comments:
Post a Comment