Myanmar Blocks Aid to Cyclone Victims

[unhappycamper]

Myanmar Blocks Aid to Cyclone Victims
May 08, 2008
Associated Press

YANGON, Myanmar - Myanmar's isolationist regime blocked United Nations efforts May 8 to airlift food aid to cyclone survivors, U.N. officials said, as the hungry fought for what little food was available and drank coconut milk for lack of clean water.

Paul Risley, a spokesman of the U.N's World Food Program in Bangkok, said three flights were waiting to take off from Dubai, Dhaka and Thailand with 50 tons of high-energy biscuits. A fourth shipment aboard a scheduled Thai Airways cargo flight was likely to bring some biscuits later May 8.

The top U.S. diplomat in the country, Shari Villarosa, has said the number of dead could eventually exceed 100,000 because of the scarcity of safe food and water. Myanmar's state media said Cyclone Nargis has killed at least 22,980 people and left 42,119 missing so far.

He told The Associated Press that the WFP was in "constant touch" with the military junta to obtain the flight clearance for the first major airlift of international aid, but there has been no word from officials.

Earlier, a statement from WFP in Washington indicated that a green-light for the airlift had been given, saying the planes were scheduled to land in Yangon early May 8.


Rest of article at: http://www.military.com/news/article/myanmar-blocks-aid-to-cyclone-victims.html?wh=wh

[ccharles000]

1. disgusting