Australia to provide $15 million as Nargis aid to Burma

by Salai Pi Pi

Monday, 23 November 2009 15:59 (New Brief)

New Delhi (Mizzima) - Australia will provide further assistance of $ 15 million to Burma as humanitarian aid for recovery work in the Cyclone Nargis affected delta region, according to the Australian Foreign Ministry.

Stephen Smith, Australian Minister for Foreign Affairs on Saturday said the government will pledge a further $ 15 million as follow up humanitarian aid to help Burma’s delta region devastated by Cyclone Nargis in May, 2008.

“This continues to be Australia’s desire to be of assistance to the people of Burma where it can,” said Stephen Smith in a Press conference held in Perth, Australia last Saturday.

“It underlines, as well, the need for continued access by the international non-government organisations, to Burma, for reasons of development and humanitarian assistance,” Smith added.

The minister said that the pledge will be formally made at the ASEAN Post Nargis and Regional Partnerships Conference in Bangkok on 25 November in which key international donors and ASEAN member countries are to participate.

Australia is one of the largest international donors to the recovery effort in Burma after Cyclone Nargis killed around 140,000 people and left over two million homeless. It has already provided $25 million (US Dollar $23.5 million) and 31 tonnes of supplies to Nargis affected areas in Irrawaddy delta.

“Eighteen months after the disaster there are still critical needs in cyclone affected areas particularly in sanitation, education and livelihoods,” said the Foreign Ministry’s a press release.

The assistance package included $7 million over two years to address the water and sanitation needs, $4 million for food security of farmers and fishers, $2 million for education services for children, $1 million for essential maternal and child health services and $1 million for ASEAN’s management and coordination work for relief efforts, according to the ministry.

The Tripartite Core Group, which comprises high-level representatives from the United Nations, Burmese military government and ASEAN, will hold a Post-Nargis Assistance Conference (PONAC) in Bangkok to raise $103 million to address the critical needs of the people in cyclone affected areas.