Only ‘Small Proportion’ Are Getting Aid, Says UN

According to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs’ spokesman Richard Horsey, only a small fraction of the cyclone survivors have been reached by international aid. Although a million have been reached, Horsey pointed out that this did not mean that those people did not need further assistance. The WFP have thus far distributed food to Bogalay, Laputta, Pyapon, Kyaiklat, Maubin, Ngaputaw, Dedaye and Pathein Townships but say more is needed. At the current level of contributions the WFP will run out of supplies by July said Executive Director Josette Sheeran.

From: Mizzima News
http://bnionline.net/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=4248&Itemid=1

Junta forcibly evicts cyclone victims from shelters

Witnesses from Kun Chan Kone Township in Rangoon division and Dae Da Ye in Irrawaddy Division say that the authorities are still evicting survivors from refugee camps. Villages are being sent home with promises of aid from the regime. It appears to be a move to signal that the emergency relief phase of the response to the crisis is over. Thejunta has been claiming for some time now that the reconstruction phase has begun, despite Ban Ki Moon’s estimate that this part of the operation could last as long as six months.

From: Independent Mon News Agency
http://bnionline.net/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=4244&Itemid=1

Bodies float to Mon State

A month after the cyclone hit, bodies have started to turn up in Mon state. Fishermen have been finding the corpses in the fishing nets. About 120 bodies have washed up on the coast of Mon State thus far. The bodies have been cremated there. Since the bodies stared to appear, the local people have been afraid of eating fish caught in the area. Animal carcasses and equipment have also been floating ashore locals said.


From: Democratic Voice of Burma
http://english.dvb.no/news.php?id=1384

Donors face questioning at checkpoints

A member of a youth relief team recently returned from the Irrawaddy Delta has said that the authorities have constructed more checkpoints on the way to the delta region and are stopping donors and questioning them. He said that there were three checkpoints to get through on the way to the delta and that members of immigration, police and riot police were out in force. The team was questioned about their destination and whether there were any foreigners with them. The behavior of the authorities contradicts the announcement that any Burmese donors would be allowed free access to the delta region.

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