REPORTS SUGGEST THAT BURMA’S MILITARY REGIME IS KEEPING HIGH-QUALITY INTERNATIONAL RELIEF FOR ITSELF

Majority of aid is not reaching cyclone victims, says UN

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The UN yesterday said only a tiny portion of international relief is reaching Burma’s cyclone victims, amid reports the country’s military regime is hoarding high-quality foreign aid for itself.

“There is obviously still a lot of frustration that this aid effort hasn’t picked up pace 10 days after the cyclone hit,” said Richard Horsey, the spokesman for the UN humanitarian operation. A long-time foreign resident of the biggest city, Rangoon, said government officials have complained to him about military leaders diverting aid. Officials told him quantities of the high-energy biscuits rushed in on the World Food Programme’s first flights were sent to a military warehouse.

They were exchanged with what the officials said were “tasteless and low-quality” biscuits produced by the industry ministry to be handed out to cyclone victims. He said it was not known if the high-quality food was being sold on the black market or consumed by the military.

The allegations were impossible to confirm independently because of the massive restrictions imposed by the junta on journalists. The military – which has ruled the country with an iron fist since 1962 – has taken control of most aid sent by other countries including the US, which made its first aid delivery on Monday. Another cargo plane arrived yesterday.

State TV said the death toll was now 34,273, and the number of missing stood at 27,838. The United Nations says the actual death toll could be 62,000-100,000.

The cyclone hit Burma on May 2-3. Some 2million survivors, mostly poor rice farmers, are living in misery, facing disease and starvation.

The survivors are packed into Buddhist monasteries or camping in the open, drinking water contaminated by faecal matter, with dead bodies and animal carcasses floating around. Food and medicine are scarce.

The government has also barred nearly all foreigners experienced in managing such catastrophes from going to the delta west of Rangoon, and is expelling those who have managed to go in.