Cold War Veterans Blog

US aid ships forced to quit Burma

The US military has ordered Navy ships loaded with relief aid off Burma's coast to leave the area after the country's junta refused to give them permission to help survivors of last month's devastating cyclone.

Admiral Timothy Keating, the top commander in the Pacific, ordered the USS Essex and accompanying vessels to depart the Burma area after what he said were 15 separate attempts in recent weeks to get the junta's authorisation to help with relief efforts.

Burma's state media has said it fears a US invasion aimed at seizing the country's oil deposits.

The ruling generals have also forbidden the use of military helicopters from friendly neighbouring nations, which are vital in rushing supplies to isolated survivors in the Irrawaddy delta. This has forced aid agencies to scour for civilian aircraft around the world, and bring them in at dramatically increasing costs.

The UN has estimated 2.4 million people are in need of food, shelter or medical care as a result of the storm, which the government said killed 78,000 people and left another 56,000 missing.

Speaking in Hawaii, Admiral Keating said the US tried unsuccessfully to persuade Burma's leaders to allow ships, helicopters and landing craft in to provide additional disaster relief.

The ships were in the region for international exercises. Admiral Keating made them available to help with relief efforts for last month's cyclone, and they were deployed near Burma in case they obtained permission to enter the country's waters.

But Burma allowed only limited US military aid flights to the country, and barred the ships from approaching.

Paul Risley, a spokesman for the UN World Food Programme, said the departure of the American ships meant relief agencies would not have the chance to take advantage of their fleet of helicopters. Mr Risley earlier warned the logistical aspects of the relief operations, such as the chartering of helicopters, were causing expenses to soar.

Amanda Pitt, a spokeswoman for the UN relief operation in Bangkok, said increased aid has reached survivors over the last few days, but access to the delta remains difficult.







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