UN officials said on Thursday they needed nations to donate at least US$300 million more for Myanmar to recover from the devastating effects of Cyclone Nargis.
The UN has raised about US$180 million so far toward the effort but “the relief operation is by no means over,” UN humanitarian chief John Holmes.
“There are many who still remain in need of basic assistance and urgent support,” Holmes said.
Holmes launched the UN’s updated “flash” appeal for donations after initially requesting US$201 million in aid.
But along with the shortfall from that original request, the UN says it now needs US$280 million in additional money for the work of 13 UN agencies and 23 non-governmental organizations.
The money is intended to help the 2.4 million people that the UN says have been seriously affected by the cyclone. More than 100 projects are planned to deliver food, shelter, clean drinking water, sanitation, education and other needs.
Despite the relief efforts by international aid workers and Myanmar’s government, many areas of the Irrawaddy Delta hit hard by the May 2 to May 3 storm still have not received as much as aid as they requested, Holmes said.
The government’s official death toll now stands at 84,537 dead, with 53,836 missing.
Holmes repeated his assertion that international aid efforts were making “significant progress” since UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon traveled to Myanmar to win a pledge from its ruling general, Than Shwe, to free up more access.
Holmes said, however, that 1 in 2 families in Myanmar have food supplies of only about one day or less and some 60,000 children were at risk of malnutrition. He said the cyclone wiped out 42 percent of the nation’s overall food stocks.
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