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U.N. 'furious' as Myanmar aid 'seized'
* Story Highlights
* NEW: Myanmar to let one U.S. cargo aircraft land with supplies on
Monday
* United Nations aid official in Asia "furious" over government cargo
seizure
* World Food Program head says government has confiscated aid
shipments
* However, U.N. later decides to resume aid flights into the
cyclone-hit
nation
BANGKOK, Thailand (CNN) -- Aid agencies are furious over the Myanmar's
government's refusal to allow them to distribute food and supplies flown
in
for cyclone disaster victims.
The ruling military junta has been allowing planes to land, but is not
letting the cargo be distributed by most foreign aid workers, especially
those from Western nations.
The Asia head of the United Nations' World Food Program said Friday that
the
government had seized the contents of two flights that arrived in the
morning at Yangon which carried enough food for 95,000 people. They
contained 38 tons of high-energy biscuits, medical kits and other items.
"We off-loaded the food, and then the authorities refused us permission to
take that food away," WFP director Tony Banbury said.
"We were told we needed a special letter from the Minister of Social
Welfare. We hand-delivered a request to him. The answer back was 'No, you
can't have the food.'
"That food is now sitting on the tarmac doing no good. I'm furious. This
is
unacceptable."
In response, the U.N. temporarily suspended its emergency airlifts.
However, the WFP -- which under U.N. rules must control and distribute its
aid supplies -- said later that it would try to send more aid on Saturday.
"The World Food Program has decided to send in two relief flights as
planned
tomorrow, while discussions continue with the government of Myanmar,"
spokeswoman Nancy Roman said.
Despite earlier reservations, Myanmar has now agreed to allow one American
cargo aircraft to land with relief supplies on Monday, White House Deputy
Press secretary Gordon Johndroe said Friday. VideoWatch how some aid is
getting through »
The United States had earlier proposed an aid plan that would minimize the
presence of American troops on the ground, with the planes to drop
supplies
off and then turn around and leave.
The U.S. is also proposing that its Navy helicopters already in Thailand
and
onboard Navy ships in the region fly supplies to remote areas. The
helicopters would conduct low-level flights and air-drop the supplies but
not touch the ground.
Four U.S. Navy ships are now moving to a region offshore Myanmar.
The Danish Red Cross said only one out of 10 people have received some
kind
of aid in the six days since the cyclone hit, The Associated Press
reported.
"There are problems to get the aid inside (Myanmar) and there are problems
to get the aid out to the delta area," director Anders Ladekarl told AP.
"We are simply lacking transportation. There are almost no boats and no
helicopters. This is really a nightmare to make this operation run."
Agencies such as the Red Cross, World Vision and Doctors Without Borders
already had staff inside Myanmar before the cyclone hit, but have been
struggling to get permission to bring in more, AP said.
As many as 6 million people lived in the Irrawaddy Delta, the low-lying
region that bore the brunt of the storm. More than 2,000 square miles of
land are under water. PhotoLook at satellite pictures of the damage by the
flooding »
The Myanmar government says last week's cyclone killed 22,000 people, but
the top U.S. envoy in the country says the death toll may exceed 100,000.
Thousands are without food, shelter and clean water, and aid workers say
boats and helicopters are needed to reach remote areas.
As the delivery of aid supplies lags, the possibility of diseases such as
malaria rises, medical authorities say.
Friday's move by the Myanmar military government to stop aid workers
distributing supplies came one day before a national constitutional
referendum that would strengthen the power of the military junta.
The government delayed voting in areas most ravaged by last Saturday's
cyclone, but, despite urging by U.N. General-Secretary Ban Ki-moon,
refused
to cancel the balloting countrywide. Ban told authorities it may be
"prudent" to focus their resources on emergency response efforts.
Political observers note that Myanmar has been isolated from outside
influences since the military began ruling the country in 1962.
Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd said the military junta in Myanmar
has
behaved "appallingly" by declining to grant more visas to relief workers.
"This has never happened before," he said Friday.
To complicate matters, Myanmar's embassy in Bangkok, Thailand -- where aid
groups have been waiting for days for entry permission -- was closed
Friday
for a holiday.
CNN's Hugh Rimington in Bangkok and Barbara Starr in Washington
contributed
to this report.
http://www.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/asiapcf/05/09/myanmar/
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