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MYANMAR: Cyclone helicopters grounded in Bangkok

BANGKOK, 4 June 2008 (IRIN) - One month after a devastating cyclone ripped through Myanmar, nine out of 10 helicopters to be used by the UN World Food Programme (WFP) are still being held up in Bangkok awaiting approval to fly.

Choppers were delivered last week by the Canadian and Australian governments but Myanmar has yet to authorise their entry into the country.

The delays are the latest in a series of setbacks in the international effort to assist an estimated 2.4 million cyclone survivors.

"The biggest challenge has been the government's willingness to allow these choppers into the country in a response capacity," said Paul Risley, a spokesman for WFP, in Bangkok on 4 June.

At least 134,000 people are dead or missing after Nargis slammed into the Ayeyarwady Delta on 2 and 3 May.

The category four storm severely affected the delta area, knocking out most of its already dilapidated infrastructure.

Much of the area is now almost inaccessible except by slow boat, which can take days to reach survivors, making helicopters almost essential for the quick transport of relief aid.

Military forces from Canada, the US, Australia and France offered to make military helicopters immediately available, but the junta refused them entry.

The Australian and Canadian governments were forced to rent private choppers, which the Australian embassy said cost about four days in much-needed time. The Australians rented four Puma helicopters from a private South African company and the Canadian government flew in four from the Ukraine.

WFP has managed to fly only one aid helicopter into the country. Since its arrival on 22 May, that chopper has flown two missions to the delta – the first to the township of Labutta on 2 June.

The MI8 helicopter carried about half a tonne of food into flooded regions, according to WFP.

"Bringing together 10 helicopters in Bangkok in two weeks is a Herculean feat … logistically, it was a huge challenge," Risley explained.

Signs of progress

However, there are signs of progress in gaining access for further aid to the devastated areas.

As of 2 June, 8,500MT of food aid, capable of feeding an estimated 750,000 people, had been dispatched by WFP.

WFP also said it was working with 45 partner organisations and has 70 international staff, 36 of whom have been given visas to operate in the country, and had made 21 aid shipments since Nargis struck. In addition, all agencies said local people and organisations had played a key role in distributing aid.

Nonetheless, even these successes are being hindered by constant red tape, with aid workers required to seek permission every time they travel to the delta.

MSF accesses all areas

Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) has been one of the only relief groups that has successfully gained unfettered access to the delta and its teams have been operating since shortly after the cyclone.

"When the cyclone hit, we didn't do any assessments. We heard that the devastation was so complete that it would waste time," said Frank Smithuis, Myanmar country director for MSF.

MSF assigned 25 percent of its staff to relief aid immediately, and was able to set up aid stations throughout the delta regions.

"We had a large operating base to begin with – we had more than 1,200 [local] staff and 30 international before the cyclone," Smithuis said. Movements of MSF staff were restricted at first, but two weeks ago they were given unrestricted access.

MSF's strong existing links in the country helped the NGO to gain access to regions off-limits to other organisations, said MSF.

"You ask one general, and he says 'no', you ask another and he says 'no', then you ask a third and he may say 'yes'," he said.

Meanwhile, the US Navy has said it is withdrawing four ships - loaded with helicopters, landing craft and relief supplies - after repeated unsuccessful attempts to convince the Burmese junta to let them in.

In addition, agencies reported that the French navy, also refused permission to operate in Myanmar, unloaded 400,000MT of rice in southern Thailand, and that the ship had now departed.

The WFP was dismayed that the military was not allowed to send aid helicopters. "The greatest resource those naval ships offered were those helicopters. That's truly unfortunate," said Risley.

gm/ds/mw

Theme(s): (IRIN) Aid Policy, (IRIN) Governance, (IRIN) Natural Disasters

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Copyright © IRIN 2008
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