New Delhi – The United Nations World Food Programme has said it is working out details with the government to begin importing food from abroad to supply to cyclone survivors, in Burma's southwest Irrawaddy and Rangoon division.
Paul Risley, spokesperson of WFP in Bangkok said, the organization has been buying food locally since it begun supplying aid to cyclone victims, but would now consider shipping food from abroad.
"We are now working out the details with the government on shipping food supplies," Risley said.
Risley said the government had signaled WFP to consider importing food supplies, which includes – rice, beans and cooking oil – during a roundtable meeting held last week.
But a source close to the military establishment said, the government fears that if the WFP continues buying food locally, it might lead to food shortage, which might lead to a fresh agitation among the people.
"They [junta] fear that if the WFP continues buying food in huge bulk there might be food shortage in Rangoon and other parts," the source, who declined to be named for fear of reprisal, told Mizzima.
"And this might lead to unrest among the people and it might take a political turn," said the source, who claimed to have received his information from the government's aid monitoring team.
The source said the junta's primary fear was that a food crisis at this critical time might provoke the anger of the people and might potentially cause a political threat.
The source also added that the restrictions do not include other individual donors and smaller groups, as the quantity of their purchase is much lesser than that of UN agencies like WFP.
While, the information on the restriction of WFP, could not be independently verified, Paul Risley from WFP, however, said they have not received any kind of notice to indicate the government's restriction on WFP to buy food locally.
"We have been buying food locally and will continue buying," said Risley. "We will begin shipping food from abroad from next month."
Meanwhile, a private donor, who has been providing food supplies and shelter to cyclone survivors in the Irrawaddy delta, on Monday, told Mizzima that they have been buying food, particularly rice, in the local market.
"There are some villages, where there is lesser amount of rice available but so far we have been able to get as much as we want," said the private donor, who requested not to be named, as the junta targets individuals who reveal their activities to the press.
"All we need is to give the order in advance if we want a huge quantity of rice," added the donor, who is based in Rangoon.
