Regime said to relent on aid workers
Myanmar’s Senior Gen. Than Shwe agreed today to let in “all” aid workers to help the 2.4 million survivors of Tropical Cyclone Nargis, U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said after meeting him.
“He has agreed to allow all aid workers,” said Ban, who is on a mission to persuade the reclusive military government to permit more foreign relief expertise three weeks after the cyclone struck.
Asked if this was a breakthrough, Ban said: “I think so.”
By the military government’s count, about 78,000 people were killed by the May 2-3 cyclone and 56,000 others are unaccounted for.
France-based Doctors Without Borders said Thursday that it had some foreign staffers working in four areas of the Irrawaddy delta, which had previously been virtually off-limits to foreign relief workers.
The regime had earlier allowed the U.N. to bring in 10 helicopters to fly aid to victims.
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