Regime said to relent on aid workers
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NAYPYIDAW, MYANMAR — 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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