Cyclone and Myanmar–UN response, Day 2

Today is Tuesday, nearly 4 days since the cyclone struck Myanmar. So far over 20,000 are reported dead, and many more in desperate need of water and food. People are dying in Myanmar. So what is the UN doing?

The Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon sent a letter to Than Shwe, the military leader of the country, urging the military junta to allow the international community to assist the relief effort. And late yesterday afternoon, the Chef de Cabinet of the UN met with the Myanmar’s Ambassador. The ambassador requested immediate humanitarian help for the country. Finally, the UN’s chief in the country has been in direct contact with the foreign minister of Myanmar.

But all of that direct contact has come to naught. So far, nearly 4 days after the cyclone touched down, no UN staff or aid has crossed into the country. Granted, the WFP and UNHCR are dispensing what aid they have from stocks inside Myanmar. But that is just enough food and emergency relief equipment for normal situations. This is not a normal situation.

Earlier today, Mr. Rashid Khalikov, the Director of the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, gave the press an update of the UN’s efforts so far. He said that there are 5 UN personnel in Bangkok awaiting visas to cross into the country. Yes, you read that right, there are only 5 people assigned to save a country of over 50 million people. They just applied for visas today, because, as Mr. Khalikov explained, Monday was a holiday in Bangkok and the embassy was closed. So a three day weekend is what’s keeping UN from sending to help in this disaster.

The government in Yangon has a prickly relationship with the UN, and has been known to kick UN personnel out of the country in the past.

Laura Bush, who has made consistently Myanmar an important issue for some reason, pledged $200,000 in emergency relief. Or, about how much money we spend in 5 minutes in Iraq.

It’s crises like this one in which the UN can make a name for itself. Transcend the politics on the ground and save lives. But, the UN is an increasingly polarized body. I can understand stagnation in the Security Council. But humanitarian assistance should be the UN’s specialty. Sadly, the events over the past two days confirmed that they cannot be as effective as they need to be in responding to a humanitarian crisis.