New Delhi – Faced with an acute shortage of funds, the United Nations World Food Programme is hoping an international appeal would help it continue its operations in providing succour to cyclone survivors in Burma.
"Right now we still need about 28 million dollars for continuing emergency operations to provide food to 750,000 affected people for over six months," said Paul Risley, spokesperson of WFP in Bangkok .
WFP said it requires a total of US$ 69.5 million to provide emergency support to victims of Cyclone Nargis that lashed Burma 's southwest coastal regions two months ago, leaving more than 138,000 dead and missing.
Risley said the UN is planning to launch an international appeal next week both in Geneva and New York , asking for more funds from donor countries to assist in both emergency relief and reconstruction work.
"That (international appeal) is expected to attract more contributions and donations from donor governments to the Programme," Risley told Mizzima, adding that the current donations received for emergency relief and reconstruction work is below the target.
Burma 's military rulers in May appealed for US $ 11 billion for emergency relief and reconstruction but according to the UN an overall donation of just over US $ 200 million has been received so far.
As part of an international response to Cyclone Nargis that left more than 2.4 million people devastated, the Tripartite Core Group, consisting of members of Southeast Asian Nations, Burmese government representatives and representatives of the UN, on June 20, concluded an initial assessment.
"That assessment probably will be very helpful in determining how long food should be provided both by WFP, the government or other NGOs," said Risley.
While the TCG released an initial report, the full report of the assessment is yet to be submitted.
Meanwhile, the UN food agency said it has received permission from the Burmese government to import rice from neighbouring Thailand .
An insider close to the Burmese military establishment earlier told Mizzima that the junta had restricted the WFP from buying rice locally as they fear that UN food agency's rice purchase might result in shortage of food in the local market.
"Since WFP is purchasing huge quantities, the government fears that rice may run short in local markets and that it might lead to a rice price hike," the source said.
The source said the junta feared that a price hike might anger the common people, who are reeling under an unprecedented natural disaster, and eventually ignite a political upheaval, in the backdrop of palpable political tension.
However, Risley denied that the government had imposed any such restriction on the WFP and said it has allowed buying rice locally.
"We have received permission to purchase rice [locally] and we have done it. It will arrive soon from Thailand and will be apart of our food distribution," said the WFP spokesman.
"There is rice available in Yangon [ Rangoon ]," said Paul Risley. However it has started purchasing rice from Thailand .
