New Delhi - Several aid agencies welcomed Senior General Than Shwe's willingness to allow international aid workers to go into the cyclone affected areas in Burma, saying the decision could save several lives.
United Nations Secretary-General on Friday said Burma's military supremo Senior General Than Shwe has agreed to let aid workers into the cyclone affected areas during a meeting in Naypyitaw.
Ban Ki-moon, who arrived Burma on Thursday, said, "He (Than Shwe) has agreed to allow all aid workers regardless of nationality."
"He has taken quite a flexible position on this matter," Ban added.
While Ban's announcement on his discussion with the Burmese junta head seems to have had no immediate impact as yet, aid agencies said it will help reach aid supplies faster to the cyclone impacted regions.
"It is excellent news," Chris Lom regional officer for the International Organization for Migration in Bangkok told Mizzima.
"If it becomes easy to send international staff members, we will be sending more staff," Lom said. "That will make it easier to distribute the aid and monitor the distribution."
He added that two of their international aid workers have gone into Burma this morning and they are planning to send in more.The IOM in partnership with national NGOs and other aid agencies have been
distributing medicines, mosquito nets and other relief materials to the survivors in the Irrawaddy delta and in Rangoon division.
"In the pipeline we have 50,000 tarpaulins and we will also be ordering tents and prefabricated building for health clinics," Lom said. James East spokesman of World Vision from Thailand office said, "Obviously we are waiting to see what this means in practice but this it is a very good thing, if it proves to be true then it is an excellent thing."
East said, "We have got many tons of aid we would like to send it." The aid materials include water purification unit, thousands of mosquito nets, tents, tarpaulins and kitchen equipment.
He added that the World Vision has lately been facing logistic problems and would like to bring in more people into Rangoon. The World Vision has three logistic people and another six international experts to
be sent to Rangoon for supporting the 11 international staff members who are already working and need more help, East said.
"If it is possible if we can get there tomorrow and that will be great," East said. Meanwhile, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Society (IFRC) also said they welcome Ban's announcement and hope that it will be of great help for the cyclone victims.
"We welcome anything, any step for allowing more assistance to hundreds and thousands of people affected, many of whom have not receives assistance so far," Matt Cochrane, the IFRC's media officer in Geneva told Mizzima.
But Cochrane said, "It's not clear what this [announcement] means at this stage. Allow more supplies to the delta? We are not clear about the remaining course".
Cochrane said the IFRC has already sent 25 additional international staff members into Burma to help thousands of Myanmar Red Cross staff in providing aid supply. He also said the IFRC has 600 tons of relief in the pipeline and it is waiting in Malaysia.
In an effort to get more aid for the cyclone victims, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and the United Nations on Sunday plan to hold a donor's conference, where the UN chief will preside.
According to the UN more than 30 prospective donors have registered to attend the meeting to be held in Rangoon. Burma earlier announced that it welcomes aid donations while it will not allow international aid workers to handle the distribution as the government is capable of handling the re-distribution to refugees.
A campaign group in the United Kingdom - the Burma Campaign UK - in its press statement released on Thursday condemned the Burmese military junta for blocking aid from the international communities and accused it of killing thousands of Burmese people by its blockade.
"The generals should be in jail, not at a UN donor conference," the Burma Campaign UK said.
