New Delhi – With the Burmese military junta opening up the country to international relief workers, some staff members of a few aid agencies were able to go into the cyclone devastated Irrawaddy delta. But skepticism over the junta's move is far from over.
Paul Risley, the World Food Programme (WFP) spokesperson in Bangkok said they were able to send in one international aid worker into the delta region on Saturday and hope to send more people in the coming days.
"On Saturday we sent one person, he was able to travel without any problem. That is good," Risley said.
Risley said the staffer, who is the first to visit the delta region from WFP, was engaged in Bogale and Pyapon, two of the worst hit by the cyclone, and returned the same day.
"Another two [international aid] experts will go today and three will go tomorrow to Laputta," Risley said.
The aid workers will be deployed in the delta to help the national staff, Risley said, adding "So far we have had no problem it seems they [junta] is open to allowing international staff to the delta."
WFP said so far they have applied for entry visas for 26 relief experts and more are still waiting. The group also has at least 25 international staff members waiting in Rangoon to enter the delta region.
The United Nations Children's Fund also said they were able to send six international aid workers to the Irrawaddy delta after the Burmese junta promised the visiting UN Secretary General that they will ease restrictions on entry to the region on Friday.
"Six international staff members from the UNICEF have gone into the delta," said Shantha Bloeman UNICEF spokesperson in Bangkok , declining to mention the date when the aid workers left.
The UNICEF said it has 25 international aid workers in Rangoon , ready to go into the cyclone's worst regions in the Irrawaddy delta.
World Vision, another aid group which has been helping cyclone victims with its national staff, however, said they have not been able to send in any expert to the delta as yet.
"We have general permission and an announcement of the policy of openness towards assistance efforts at this point, so we are trying to negotiate that today," said Chris Webster spokesman of World Vision.
The World Vision which had 11 international staff members before the cyclone in Burma said seven other aid workers have been allowed to enter the country while another six are still waiting for visas.
"We will still have staff that we would like to bring in from Bangkok and we have staff in Rangoon we are hoping to send them to the Irrawaddy delta," Webster added.
While a few aid groups were able to send a few of its aid workers into the military-ruled country, several others are yet to get through visa procedures.
On Friday, Burma's senior General Than Shwe promised the UN Secretary General that the junta would allow international aid workers 'regardless of their nationality' to help the cyclone victims.
"My sincere hope is that they [the junta] will honour their commitment - that we have to see," Ban told reporters in Bangkok on Sunday, after returning from Rangoon 's pledging conference.
On Sunday, Burma was pledged nearly USD 50 million, during a pledging conference for cyclone victims organized by the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) and the UN.
