Members of the U.S. Navy Blue Angels fly over the World Trade Center in lower Manhattan as part of the 25th annual Fleet Week celebration in New York, May 23, 2012.  REUTERS/Eduardo Munoz

Reuters Photojournalism

Our day's top images, in-depth photo essays and offbeat slices of life. See the best of Reuters photography.  See more | Photo caption 

Photo

Maxim Hot 100

The world's most beautiful women as chosen by Maxim readers.  Slideshow 

Shreen Mohammad sits with other recruits during a military exercise at the Kabul Military Training Center (KMTC) in Kabul March 28, 2012. A landmark NATO summit in Chicago endorsed an exit strategy that calls for handing control of Afghanistan to its own security forces by the middle of next year but left questions unanswered about how to prevent a slide into chaos and a Taliban resurgence after allied troops are gone. Picture taken March 28, 2012.   REUTERS/Omar Sobhani (AFGHANISTAN - Tags: POLITICS MILITARY SOCIETY) ATTENTION EDITORS: PICTURE 18 OF 27 FOR PACKAGE 'AFGHAN ARMY RECRUIT'

Afghan army recruit

A look at an Afghan recruit as he goes through the process of joining the Afghan National Army.  Slideshow 

FACTBOX: Aid for cyclone-ravaged Myanmar

Related Topics

Wed May 7, 2008 5:18pm EDT

(Reuters) - Governments and relief agencies around the world have promised aid and technical support to Myanmar after a devastating cyclone that a U.S. diplomat said may have killed more than 100,000 people.

The destruction wreaked by Cyclone Nargis and its aftermath in the Irrawaddy Delta on Saturday has drawn a rare acceptance of outside help from the Southeast Asian country's diplomatically isolated military rulers.

The following includes some of the aid offers to date:

NGO/IGO CONTRIBUTIONS

UNITED NATIONS: The U.N. has promised to release a minimum of $10 million from its Central Emergency Relief Fund and is launching a "flash appeal" to raise much more money for Myanmar on Friday. A five-member U.N. Disaster Assessment and Coordination team assembled in Bangkok. UNICEF has sent assessment teams to three of the five disaster-hit areas.

RED CROSS: About 200,000 Swiss francs ($189,000) released by the International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies' emergency disaster fund. Relief workers are distributing drinking water, clothing, food, plastic tarpaulins and hygiene kits.

-- Myanmar Red Cross is distributing insecticide-treated bed nets to help prevent malaria and water purification tablets. The government said it would allocate 5 billion kyats ($4.5 million) for relief and resettlement work.

-- American Red Cross has pledged $100,000 in funds and supplies.

WORLD VISION, AUSTRALIA: The Christian relief group pledged A$3 million ($2.8 million) for first month of relief operations in Myanmar.

About 25 medical, health and hygiene specialists to be sent into cyclone-ravaged areas, to boost efforts of 600 permanent staff in Myanmar.

STATE CONTRIBUTIONS

FRANCE: 200,000 euros (around $320,000) in aid

SPAIN: 500,000 euros (around $775,000) to the World Food Programme for Myanmar.

UNITED KINGDOM: Up to 5 million pounds (around $10 million) for emergency relief efforts pledged by Department of International Development. Also sending emergency field team.

AUSTRALIA: Initial A$3 million ($2.8 million) in emergency aid, with A$1 million of that to go to aid agencies to help provide shelter, water purification and food in Myanmar.

NEW ZEALAND: Immediate grant of NZ$500,000 ($394,000) from government to be distributed through aid agencies/United Nations.

INDONESIA: $1 million, and send food, medicine and other humanitarian aid.

GREECE: Greece vows to send $300,000 in financial assistance, and plane carrying aid

CHINA: $500,000 in cash; materials including tents, blankets and biscuits worth a further $500,000.

INDIA: Two naval ships loaded with food, tents, blankets, clothing and medicines sent to Yangon. Two transport aircraft laden with supplies to leave for Myanmar on Wednesday

JAPAN: 28 million yen ($267,570) worth of emergency aid in (tents, power generators and other supplies).

THAILAND: Transport plane loaded with food and medicine was sent to Yangon.

SINGAPORE: $200,000 in humanitarian assistance; offers to send rescue and medical teams.

SOUTH KOREA: $100,000 in aid and material, such as tents and medicine, in an initial package.

EUROPEAN COMMISSION: Pledged 2 million euros ($3 million) for fast-track humanitarian aid.

UNITED STATES: Committed $3 million through the U.S. Agency for International Development, up from initial $250,000 immediate emergency aid. Treasury to expedite approvals for aid groups to provide money/services to the Myanmar government, under U.S. sanctions since 2003.

CANADA: Some C$2 million ($1.98 million) to support organizations including the United Nations, International Red Cross and the World Food Programme.

GERMANY: One million euros (around $1.55 million ) to German aid organizations to provide shelter, drinking water, household utensils and mosquito nets.

Source: Reuters

(Compiled by Gillian Murdoch, Singapore Editorial Reference Unit and Bangkok newsroom; Editing by Valerie Lee)

Comments (0)
This discussion is now closed. We welcome comments on our articles for a limited period after their publication.