UN humanitarian chief meets Myanmar Prime Minister on cyclone response progress

(Yangon, 24 July): On the third and last day of his mission to Singapore and Myanmar, Under- Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, John Holmes, met Prime Minister, General Thein Sein, today in Nay Pyi Taw, along with other Government of Myanmar ministers, to discuss progress in the cyclone-affected areas and continued cooperation on relief and early recovery.

Acknowledging the encouraging signs of progress on relief operations and recovery in the delta area ravaged by Cyclone Nargis, as well as improved access for international humanitarian workers, Mr. Holmes noted that much of this was due to the cooperation that has developed between the Government, the United Nations and ASEAN, as well as significant efforts by civil society and the private sector.

'We hope that the dialogue and cooperation built up in the last couple of months over the Cyclone Nargis response can be continued and improved, and in future extended to other humanitarian issues as well,' said Mr. Holmes. 'We must make sure that humanitarian efforts continue to be separate from politics,' he added.

The Prime Minister welcomed continued cooperation with the UN and international partners. Mr. Holmes made it clear that OCHA and others are ready to provide assistance and expertise to the Government of Myanmar in the vital areas of disaster preparedness, risk reduction and early warning systems, against the likelihood of similar disasters in the future.

Mr. Holmes also expressed the hope that donors would respond generously to the revised appeal for US$481 million, launched on 10 July. 'In May donors requested access for international relief workers and a credible, objective assessment: these are both now in place,' said the Under- Secretary-General. 'Nevertheless we need to continue working to improve access still further, particularly for new international NGO partners.' There are roughly US$300 million in unmet requirements.

Mr. Holmes emphasized that the Post-Nargis Joint Assessment, developed and carried out by the Government, ASEAN and UN together, and welcomed this week by donors and the international community, is a credible, comprehensive and realistic report, which provides a roadmap for the continuing relief and recovery efforts. Although operations are now proceeding well, there is still much work to be done, particularly to reach those in the more remote areas of the delta with the kind of systematic help needed over the next few months.

For further information, please contact:

Yangon: Laksmita Noviera, Tel. +95 1 544266 ext 811, +95 951 63898, noviera@un.org

Bangkok: Amanda Pitt, Tel. +66 81 374 1035, pitta@un.org

New York: Dawn Blalock, Tel. +1 917 367 5126, +1 646 897 1917, blalock@un.org