Junta Steals Aid; Money Still Needed
Posted on May 14, 2008, by Hanna Ingber Win, under International, Politics.
Reports are now pouring out of Burma about government officials stealing international and domestic aid and then either keeping some of it or selling it to survivors of the cyclone. Here is my story on it in the Huffington Post from last weekend. Foreign aid workers aren’t allowed to accompany the aid and ensure it gets to the survivors. Even Burmese living in the country trying to donate are now forbidden from traveling to the Irrawaddy River Delta, where the worst damage was done, to provide relief.
And now, as horrible as it is unimaginable, UN meteorologists predict that a second cyclone will soon hit Burma and further endanger the lives of the remaining survivors.
Despite the difficulties in getting aid into the country and then to the survivors, more donations are desperately needed. Dead bodies continue to litter the delta and contaminate the drinking water. About 2 million people are homeless or at risk of disease.
Please think about how you can donate. Remember the outpouring of support after the 2004 tsunami. Reporters can’t travel around Burma and write compelling stories that attract donors’ eyes. Tourists aren’t there. Photos are limited and the junta just banned cameras from the delta. But Burma still needs help. The Irrawaddy is collecting money for its reporting. US Campaign For Burma is raising funds for relief. And my husband is collecting money to send to his family and community in Rangoon so they can afford food and water. He will give the money to a friend who is traveling to the region soon. Please help. Thank you.
