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December 5th, 2008
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Czechs send aid to Burma crisis

Groups find other means of distribution after efforts thwarted

By Ondřej Bouda
Staff Writer, The Prague Post
May 14th, 2008 issue

According to the latest United Nations estimates, up to 1.5 million Burmese inhabitants could be at risk in the wake of cyclone Nargis, which hit the country, also known as Myanmar, May 2.
State estimates place the death toll at 32,000, but the UN says the actual number could stand as high as 100,000.
Unofficial reports coming out of the country through dissident channels describe bodies floating in rivers that people depend on for drinking water and bathing.
Yet, the ruling military junta refuses to let humanitarian workers into the country and insists on distributing all foreign aid itself, creating supply backups at the borders and allowing only limited provisions to reach victims.
“According to our information, they are selling the humanitarian aid they receive,” said Veronika Divišová, coordinator of the Burmese operation for the Czech humanitarian organization People in Need. “On top of that, dissidents and other people that the regime wants to get rid of do not have access to aid at all.”
For its part, the Czech government has earmarked 5 million Kč for the relief effort through organizations such as the International Red Cross, while Czech agencies including the Czech Red Cross, the Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) and People in Need have launched their own campaigns. People in Need has so far collected 1.5 million Kč and donated half a million crowns of its own funds.
While such aid efforts are hampered by the lack of reliable information from the area and the silence of Burmese authorities, People in Need is exploring other options.
“Thanks to our long-term contacts in Burma, we have reliable ways to get help into some areas,” said Divišová. The organization is currently distributing food and water purification tablets through local channels in one of the worst affected areas south of Yangon, where the storm destroyed a dam.
“We are all hoping we’ll get into the country soon, before the situation gets worse,” said Divišová. “Hunger is going to be among the least of our problems after infections and mosquitoes start wreaking havoc. On top of that, another storm is expected in the area soon.”

Ondřej Bouda can be reached at obouda@praguepost.com


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