Sunday, May 11, 2008
United Nations food agency suspends aid flights: 1.5 million victims
The U.N. food agency suspended aid flights to cyclone struck Myanmar on May 9 after the military government seized two deliveries at Yangon airport, apparently determined to distribute supplies on its own.
The shipments of 38 tons of high-energy biscuits, enough to feed 95,000 people, were intended to be loaded on trucks and sent to the inundated Irrawaddy delta where most of the estimated 1.5 million victims need help.
"We're going to have to shut down our very small airlift operation until we get guarantees from the authorities that we'll be able to have the food when it arrives," U.N. World Food Program regional director Tony Banbury told CNN.
"I am furious. It is unacceptable."Governments around the world have been pressing Myanmar's ruling generals to open the country's borders to desperately-needed assistance and on May 9, Germany said it agreed with a proposal by France to use the U.N. Security Council.
To read the full article, click here...
To read the ePaper, visit: http://www.newsindia-times.com
The shipments of 38 tons of high-energy biscuits, enough to feed 95,000 people, were intended to be loaded on trucks and sent to the inundated Irrawaddy delta where most of the estimated 1.5 million victims need help.
"We're going to have to shut down our very small airlift operation until we get guarantees from the authorities that we'll be able to have the food when it arrives," U.N. World Food Program regional director Tony Banbury told CNN.
"I am furious. It is unacceptable."Governments around the world have been pressing Myanmar's ruling generals to open the country's borders to desperately-needed assistance and on May 9, Germany said it agreed with a proposal by France to use the U.N. Security Council.
To read the full article, click here...
To read the ePaper, visit: http://www.newsindia-times.com
Labels: cyclone nargis, France, Germany, help, Irrawaddy delta, Myanmar, people missing, suspended aid flights, Tony Banbury, U.N. food agency, U.N. World Food Program, victims, Yangon airport
Subscribe to Posts [Atom]
