FACTBOX: Aid offers for cyclone-hit Myanmar

Tue May 6, 2008 11:01am EDT
 
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(Reuters) - Governments and relief agencies around the world have promised more than $10 million worth of aid and technical support to Myanmar after a devastating cyclone killed at least 15,000 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: 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 in aid

SPAIN: 500,000 euros to the World Food Program for Myanmar.

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.  Continued...

 
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