U.N. Secretary General Secures Aid Worker Access to Irrawaddy

United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon announced in Myanmar on Friday that the Myanmar government has agreed to allow foreign aid workers of any nationality to travel to the Irrawaddy Delta, which was the most severely affected area hit by Cyclone Nargis. After discussions with leaders in the capital of Naypyidaw, 350 km north of Yangon, Mr. Ban announced the changes for aid worker access and the set-up of a logistical hub. Previously, only aid workers from Asian nations had been allowed beyond the roadside checkpoints set up outside of Yangon, although reports have come through that some high profile officials have been allowed in and other Western aid workers seem to have gotten to the area by water craft.

The U.N. reported that the main Yangon airport has been cleared for use as a logistical hub for the air cargo flights that are coming into the country. Also announced was that civilian ships and small boats were cleared for bringing aid into the country. This latter announcement could seemingly clear the way for French and U.S. naval ships, that have been waiting off-shore in international waters, to have their cargoes unloaded onto barges and other freight ships for transport to the delta area. Government media reported that these naval vessels and their fleet of helicopters will not be allowed direct access to the region. No word, however, on whether or not such unloading of cargo is planned or practical at the present time (given the current weather situation and availability of such private vessels).

Mr. Ban had arrived in Yangon on Thursday and his delegation was flown on two Mi-17 military helicopters over the heavily devastated Irrawaddy Delta. He toured the region for four hours with stops at a makeshift relief camp, where he met survivors of the village of Kyondah, and later at a distribution center stocked with bags of rice and cartons of sealed bottles of drinking water.

Mr. Ban will be meeting with Thai and U.N. officials in Bangkok until Sunday, when he returns to Yangon for a donor conference of international government and non-profit officials. While in Bangkok he will oversee the beginning of operations of the logistical hub at Bangkok’s Don Muang Airport, formerly Thailand’s main international gateway until the opening of Suvarnabhumi Airport two years ago. (Editor’s note: We will report in detail on the logistics situation in the next few days.)