Haider Rizvi, OneWorld US, 7 May 2008
UNITED NATIONS, May 7 (OneWorld) – A major U.S.-based humanitarian aid group is urging the Bush administration to revise its aid policy toward Myanmar (formerly known as Burma) and provide immediate assistance to the cyclone victims in that country.
“Now is the time to support the Burmese people” said Joel Charny of the aid group Refugees International in a statement urging the U.S. government to change its funding policy on Myanmar.
The United States has put severe restrictions on humanitarian aid to Myanmar, and provides less aid to the country than any other major donor nation, the group said Monday. Despite the U.S. constraints, however, many international agencies and aid groups are currently operating inside that country.
This is an ABSOLUTE piece of BS presented by the United Nations. The US has already submitted financial Aid to Myanmar (before any other country). The US been barred (read: the current oppressive junta of Generals running the cesspool of a country) has refused to allow refusing U.S. disaster experts to assess emergency needs. Such an effort would get in the way of the junta from absconding a significant portion of any aid (financial or food) for profit…as they have in the past.
The US has already reposition Naval and Marine assets in the immediate area to begin immediate emergency aid…but have not received permission from the junta to enter the country.
The UN is trying to pressure the US into presenting a significant aid package (read: money) to them for their oversight. In other words, the grab pot, dishonest, totally unregulated UN wants our money so they can get their cut before the oppressive junta of Myanmar gets theirs…the people be damned.