IRIN
MYANMAR: Targeting assistance to where it is needed most
5 June 2008


BANGKOK, 5 June 2008 (IRIN) - With more than US$260 million committed or 
pledged to relief efforts in Myanmar, UN agencies and the humanitarian 
community are taking steps to ensure their assistance is well targeted.

In all countries where there is internal conflict and political tensions 
between ethnic or religious groups, getting assistance to where it is 
most needed is a challenge, according to UN officials. In Myanmar this 
is especially so, given sparse public services and infrastructure.

The problem is exacerbated in the cyclone-devastated country because of 
weak local humanitarian capacity and the need to inject large amounts of 
external resources quickly into unfamiliar areas.

The most effective way for the UN, NGOs and donors to monitor the 
delivery of relief supplies is to gain unhindered access to affected 
areas, particularly the delta, according to US Charge D'Affaires at the 
US Embassy in Yangon, the former Burmese capital, Shari Villarosa.

"The UN and NGOs already working in the area have tried to put into 
place monitoring measures for the assistance they have received," 
Villarosa said, noting, however, that they did not have any information 
on assistance given to the government and where and to whom it had been 
distributed.

"We urge the government to share this information with other donors to 
gather a more complete picture," she said.

The US Agency for International Development (USAID) said it, like other 
international donors, provided direct funding to partner NGOs, which are 
well established in Myanmar and have memos of understanding with the 
authorities.

Similarly, the UK Department for International Development's Sarah 
Saxton said: "Our aid is going only to the UN, Red Cross and NGOs, not 
directly to the government. We are funding these organisations as they 
have a good track record of delivery in Burma. We have in place the 
usual monitoring mechanisms," including financial reports and written 
reports explaining what activities have been undertaken and what impact 
they have had.

"This means we can make sure the aid we spend is being used in the best 
possible way. We have confidence in the monitoring mechanisms of these 
partners to ensure that aid reaches those who need it," she said.

As of 4 June, a total of $153,636,162 had been committed to relief 
operations in Myanmar, with a further $107,996,656 pledged. Of these 
total contributions, $82.4 million has been committed to projects and 
activities outlined in the UN Flash Appeal. An additional $50.9 million 
has been pledged. The UN Flash Appeal for Myanmar currently requests 
$201 million and is covered at 40.8 percent. More than 20 UN agencies 
and NGOs have requested funding through the appeal.


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