UNITED NATIONS - / MaximsNews Network / 05 August 2008 --While progress has been made in the three months since the devastation caused by Cyclone Nargis, hurdles remain for aid operations in Myanmar . The Ayeyarwady Delta, which was particularly hard hit, is also remote and therefore operations there are still an challenge. However, humanitarian personnel are now being allowed into the region, after having their movements restricted by the government for weeks.

Farming remains very negatively impacted, with 85 percent of seed stocks destroyed by the cyclone and around half of the buffalos dead in the regions hard hit. With monsoon planting season approaching quickly, it is important to remedy the situation so that crops can be sown. Farming is important not only to the economic future of Myanmar ’s farmers but also supplies of food for the country. But international organizations need $51 million for these efforts.

Nearly a million people will require food aid over the next nine months and 25,600 tons already given out throughout Myanmar to 684,000 people. In addition, around nearly 250,000 households were given help such as plastic sheets and other necessities, about half of the 488,000 impacted by the cyclone. Housing is still unstable for many families and improvement is required.

Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs John Holmes said late last month, “[q]uite a lot of progress has been made since I was last there two months ago – a lot of houses have been repaired since we were last there, a lot of work has been done on schools and clinics to try and get them back into better shape, and it was possible to see a lot of activity going on in the fields.”

Medical facilities are also being restored, three-quarters of which were rendered unusable by the storm, in order to prevent disease from spreading. Myanmar has been lucky so far on this count but it remains a serious potential problem. Many sources of water contamination have been dealt with to make the water potable but around 1.8 million continue to be in need of proper access to water. Schools are being constructed but many children remain without access to educational supplies.

According to Mr. Holmes, “The main challenge for the next few months is to ensure a more systematic pipeline of aid for the next six to nine months because people, particularly in the more remote areas where it’s still very hard to reach, will need quite a lot of help for some time to come.”  

The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) explained today that the aid organizations, “have seen significant progress being made in the affected areas as a result of the coordinated efforts of local and international humanitarian actors. However, much more urgently needs to be done in remote areas where affected communities are still living in dire conditions.”

Relations with the country’s government has also been improved and the UN is working with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) as well. They have also set up an arrangement to work together for a further year.

Daniel Baker, UN Humanitarian Coordinator in Myanmar , has said that, “Aid workers now have access to cyclone-affected areas and an objective joint assessment of the ongoing relief and recovery needs has been completed. With these conditions now met, we look forward to the international community following their commitments to continue providing urgently needed assistance.”

The UN remains in need of more funding for its operations in Myanmar , of the $482 million it asked for, it has received approximately $200 million. The money received has also been affected by variable exchange rates and losses incurred when foreign exchange certificates were used to purchase goods within Myanmar , which total around $10 million. A way to put an end to this significant problem is now being negotiated with the country’s government. 

Mr. Holmes concluded that, “It’s clear that there’s absolutely no room for complacency in this – there’s still a lot to do to make the relief operation a lasting success – to reach everybody with all that they need for a sustained period.”  

 - Caroline Patton

Labels: United Nations, U.N., MaximsNews

 

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