International Response: US Govt. pledges $ 3.25 million in emergency assistance for Burma
USAID Partners with American Red Cross to Help the Burmese People
USAID Press Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 7, 2008
Press Office: 202-712-4320
Public Information: 202-712-4810
www.usaid.gov
WASHINGTON, D.C. - The American people, through the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), will provide $1 million of the initial $3.25 million in emergency assistance for Burma through the American Red Cross. This assistance will help provide for ongoing community assessments, mobilization and distribution of relief supplies from pre-positioned Red Cross stockpiles, follow-up monitoring and coordination, and the local procurement, transport, and emergency storage of temporary shelter materials.
Read full press release here
– Divya
Death Toll and Missing: Myanmar cyclone death toll could top 100,000: AFP
Myanmar cyclone death toll could top 100,000: US Diplomat
YANGON (AFP) — The death toll from the Myanmar cyclone could top 100,000, the top US diplomat in the country said Wednesday, as thousands of shell-shocked survivors emerged from the flood waters, desperate for food.
See full story here.
–Divya
Donations:From US Campaign for Burma - where the $ goes
Below is a really interesting note from US Campaign for Burma about how they’re using the money they collect for the relief effort, sent out to its facebook group. Also, here’s a NY Times piece on the politics surrounding the aid effort.
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Thank you for joining the US Campaign for Burma’s Cyclone Relief group! Many of you have asked questions about where the money goes…
From the US Campaign for Burma:
http://uscampaignforburma.org/cyclone-relief-donations
Cyclone Relief Donations
Cyclone Nargis relief fund that US Campaign for Burma set up will go to intermediate relief. They will be used to help people in rebuilding their communities and homes. This will try and fill in the gaps where other aid agencies were not able to assist. We are not able to give immediate humanitarian assistance because the military regime hampers and blocks international assistance. What we can do is help in the medium-term.
The people of Burma will be rebuilding their lives for a long time, and these funds will go directly to organizations inside Burma, led by Burmese who are earnestly working to help the people. For security purposes we cannot disclose who these groups are ( in the past the military regime has arrested those who accept international support). We will keep no overhead and 100% of the donations will go to the people of Burma.
Donations:From the American Burma Buddhist Association
The following message is from ABBA Sayadaw Ashin Indaka.
Dear Myanmar
American Burma Buddhist Association launched the Cyclone Relief Fund
at the ABBA website. Kindly visit the website
http://www.mahasiusa.org/ . You will find the link “Direct help to
people in Myanmar for Cyclone Relief”. If you click the link you will
be defaulted to the page where you will find the detail information
concerning the donation.
Thanking you in advance for your kind consideration. Best regards.
Death Toll and Missing: 60,000 Dead or Missing in Burma: Washington Post
Click here for the latest WaPo piece, filed from Thailand
BANGKOK, May 6 — The number of dead and missing in the Burma cyclone soared past 60,000 Tuesday amid signs the toll will rise even higher, as much of the disaster zone remained flooded by seawater, threatened by disease and out of reach of an international relief operation that is taking shape.
Death toll and missing: 22,000 dead and 41,000 missing: Boston Globe
According to news reports, the death toll from cyclone ‘Nargis’ is now over 22,000 and the number of missing is estimated to be 41,000. (Boston Globe, 1 hour ago)
– Divya
