updated 3 hours, 4 minutes ago
Myanmar ambassador: 'We will accept aid from any corner'
(CNN) -- After days of stonewalling, the Myanmar government is ready
to accept aid from around the world for victims of Saturday's deadly
cyclone, the country's U.N. ambassador said Friday.
Myanmar's ambassador to the United Nations, Kyaw Tint Swe, made his
statement during a special U.N. session during which several diplomats
slammed the Myanmar government.
British Ambassador John Sawers called Myanmar's refusal to let aid
workers in as the death toll mounts "an appalling crisis" and labeled
the government's actions "inexplicable and inexcusable."
The Myanmar envoy responded, "We are ready to speed up and strengthen
our relief effort. We will accept aid from any corner."
The ambassador from Singapore tried to defuse the anger aimed at
Myanmar, urging those in the special session not to politicize the
situation.
John Holmes, the U.N. coordinator for humanitarian affairs, told the
delegates that the death toll from Cyclone Nargis ranges from 63,000
to 100,000, well above the Myanmar government's announced toll of
22,000. Watch as families mourn victims =BB
Most of the victims were in the Irrawaddy Delta, where as many as 6
million people lived. The low-lying region bore the brunt of the
storm. Officials have said that about 2,000 square miles of land there
is under water.
The victims' plight could worsen this week as heavy rain is forecast,
according to The Associated Press.
But Holmes said the exact scale of the catastrophe is unknown because
of the government's refusal to let disaster assessment teams into the
country.
"The logistical challenge of operating in the delta is huge," he said.
It is known that thousands are without food, shelter and clean water,
and aid workers say boats and helicopters are needed to reach remote
areas. Look at satellite pictures of the damage by the flooding =BB
The United Nations has issued a "flash appeal" to its members to raise
$187.3 million in cyclone relief for Myanmar. That amount is based on
a quick assessment of needs by more than 20 organizations, and it
includes $56 million for food, nearly $50 million for logistics and
about $20 million for shelter.
Myanmar officials have agreed to allow a U.S. cargo plane loaded with
supplies to land in Yangon on Monday, said Gordon Johndroe, the White
House deputy press secretary.
A U.S. military C-130 cargo plane loaded with food and medicine sits
on an airstrip in Thailand and is likely to be the first American
relief flight into Myanmar on Monday, a senior U.S. military official
said.
And the World Food Programme, which had suspended relief flights after
the Myanmar government blocked the U.N. agency from distributing
supplies it flew into Yangon on Friday, said it would resume emergency
airlifts Saturday.
Saturday's flights are coming from the United Arab Emirates, India and
Cambodia and will be filled with high-energy biscuits, ready-to-eat
meals, and logistical support and equipment, such as boats, to reach
isolated areas, the WFP said.
A senior U.N. official said the WFP had not gotten clearance from
Myanmar authorities for those flights to land at Yangon International
Airport, which is a military facility. It was too late Friday to get
the approvals.
And it was still undetermined whether the WFP would be allowed to have
its personnel control and distribute the supplies, as required by U.N.
rules. It was that issue that initially prompted the agency to say it
was suspending its flights.
"The World Food Programme has decided to send in two relief flights as
planned tomorrow, while discussions continue with the government of
Myanmar on the distribution of the food that was flown in today, and
not released to WFP," said Nancy Roman, the agency's director of
public policy and communications, on Friday.
Two WFP flights arrived in Yangon on Friday carrying enough high-
energy biscuits to feed 95,000 people, but the supplies were taken at
the airport by Myanmar authorities.
WFP's chief spokeswoman in North America, Bettina Luescher, said at a
news conference that the agency "did not have access" to the supplies
and didn't know where they were.
On Thursday, the WFP had airlifted enough biscuits for 21,000 people,
most of which has been delivered, Roman said. The United Nations has
had an ongoing program in Myanmar, involving 15 international and 225
local staffers.
Luescher said Friday that "things are very fluid," meaning events were
changing quickly. iReport.com: Send your photos and videos
Meanwhile, many children in the cyclone-stricken areas were suffering
from diarrhea, said Shantha Bloemen, a spokeswoman for UNICEF in
Bangkok, Thailand.
"We're already getting diarrhea cases. ... Some of the assessments
were saying 20 percent rates of diarrhea among children," she said.
"It's already a leading killer in the country, and we're very, very
concerned about the number of children who are going to suffer and who
are potentially at risk."
Storm survivors are living in cramped conditions without adequate
water and sanitation. Diseases such as cholera and measles also can
spread quickly, she said.
Vivian Tan, spokeswoman for the U.N.'s High Commissioner for Refugees,
said the office is moving stored tents and plastic sheeting from the
Myanmar-Thai border to Yangon. The materials will be hauled by truck,
and the trip will take two days, she said.
Despite urging by U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, Myanmar
officials plan to go ahead Saturday with a national constitutional
referendum aimed at strengthening the power of the military junta.
The government has delayed voting in areas most ravaged by Saturday's
cyclone but refused to cancel the balloting countrywide.
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