UK govt still worried as more Burma aid begins
Tuesday, 20 May 2008 12:00 AM
International development secretary Douglas Alexander says the UK will continue to press Burma on its aid delivery conditions as the south-east Asian country begins three days of mourning.
Yesterday the country's rulers agreed to allow more foreign influence over relief efforts when the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) signalled Burma's willingness to accept outside coordination of aid operations.
"[Burma] will accept international assistance," said Singaporean foreign minister George Yeo after an emergency meeting of the Asian bloc.
"We will establish a mechanism so that aid from all over the world can flow into [Burma]."
Mr Alexander responded by saying: "Anything which may see more aid getting to the victims of Cyclone Nargis who so desperately need it is to be welcomed but we are continuing to press the Burmese government to accept direct assistance in the affected areas from the UK and other major donors."
Britain remains reluctant to use Asean but is prepared to do so as the best option available at present, he explained.
More than 130,000 people, mostly in the southern Irrawaddy Delta region, are dead or missing because of the cyclone, while the United Nations says 2.4 million have been severely affected.
On Thursday UN secretary general Ban Ki-moon is due to tour the worst affected regions of Burma and meet with its military rulers in the commercial capital Rangoon.
A spokesperson said Mr Ban aimed to "significantly increase" the amount of aid flowing through Burma.
The UN's World Food Programme has so far dispatched food to feed up to 250,000 people and has implored Burma's government to allow the aid operation to be "ramped up".
Mr Alexander added: "It is vital that no obstacles are placed in the path of the tremendous effort being made on the ground by international non-governmental organisations."
Flags will fly at half-mast across the south-east Asian country as the military junta officially mourns victims of Cyclone Nargis, 18 days after the storm struck.
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