WORLD> Asia-Pacific
Myanmar allows donation right down to cyclone-hit areas
(Xinhua)
Updated: 2008-05-28 14:20

YANGON -- The Myanmar authorities said it would allow direct personal donation right down to specific persons and regions in cyclone-hit areas, advising donors to seek assistance from the National Disaster Preparedness Committee (NDPC), according to the state newspaper New Light of Myanmar Wednesday.

"Individuals and organizations wishing to do so may go right down to the storm-hit towns, wards and villages of their choice so that the donation operation can be carried out more effectively," said an announcement of the committee, "In that regard, assistance may be sought from the NDPC at different levels".

The announcement came amid local-reported complaints from a large number of such individual or group donors that their personal or group donated relief supplies were blocked on the way to reach up to the hands of victims whom they wish to donate and were turned back after they failed to produce permit for the emergency life-saving humanitarian assistance or were deemed as not distributing in a systematic way.

Myanmar has claimed that a total of 5,276.42 tons of aid supplies out of 6,632.052 tons from home and abroad have been delivered to cyclone-hit areas in the country as of last week after the disaster hit the country early this month.

Myanmar obtained 5,422.974 tons of foodstuff, consumers goods and construction materials from local donors for storm victims, while it received 1,209.078 tons of aid supplies sent from abroad for them.

These aid materials have been transported to 21 cyclone-affected townships in southwestern Ayeyawaddy division and three such townships in Yangon division.