U.S. Eases Sanctions to Permit Disaster Aid to Myanmar
The U.S. government is relaxing financial sanctions against cyclone-ravaged Myanmar, U.S. News learned Tuesday afternoon.
The sanctions, implemented to apply pressure on the military dictatorship that controls Myanmar, in part prevented U.S. humanitarian organizations and individuals from donating money directly to causes within that impoverished country. That created little stir until Cyclone Nargis struck this week, killing at least 22,500 in the low-lying southern delta of the country, formerly known as Burma.
U.S. aid organizations, such as the American Red Cross, found that they could provide only supplies to the relief effort—not personnel nor money—under the sanctions rules. Nor could they accept specific donations from private American citizens to provide aid in the aftermath of this natural disaster.
The U.S. Treasury Department posted on its website a ruling (.pdf) at 5 p.m. that softened the sanctions to allow donations by U.S. citizens and charity directly to the relief effort.
American relief workers are also now allowed access to Myanmar under American regulations (The repressive Myanmar regime, however, has been slow to grant entry visas to new western workers).
The sanctions still prevent any aid to the government, unless an exception is granted by the U.S. government. John Rankin, a Treasury Department spokesman, says talks about softening the Myanmar sanctions had been ongoing. "The disaster pushed it over the finish line," he said.
For individuals now wanting to donate money specifically to the Nargis relief effort, the best option is to find an agency that is already on the ground in Myanmar, such as CARE, which had 500 full-time staffers in the impoverished country when the cyclone hit.
The military government that controls Myanmar is notoriously paranoid of outsiders, making it difficult for unfamiliar international organizations to enter the country after the storm. A list of NGOs and their work on the Myanmar relief effort can be found at interaction.org.
—Bret Schulte
Reader Comments
Please allow to help our People
I request Myanmar government to accept all international help to help our People.
Humanitarian help to Burma (Myanmar)
How infinitely tragic it is that the military dictatorship which controls Burma (Myanmar), puts their interests ahead of the desperate needs of their people, and refuse to accept sorely needed help from the nations. We are told that more than 100,000 people may have perished in the cyclone and countless more are suffering now, but the military dictatorship don't care. No handouts for their country. Let the people die. Their ideological stupidities, power hunger, and control mean more than providing mercy and compassion for the people of Burma by accepting the mercy and compassion from the nations of the world.
Don't mix humanitarian services into tricky politics
International aids is badly needed in Myanmar, struck by Nargis. Reformations need more than new foundation. Reformations involves to secure the lives, destroyed sources(such as water, energy, material buildings and etc.,) and rebuilding. Among them, re-setting up the depressed mind and energy of the human minds are very, very difficult to refill. I hope international aids will reduce their depression as one felt sick and cured by the close and kind care of the nurses. So, UN and all developed countries' aids are badly needed in Myanmar to reform not only materialy but also mentally. So also, Militry junta shouldn't mix humanitarian services into tricky politics and accept all international aids.
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Please help!!
It's better to accept all the international help including from US and must be directly to the one who suffer.
We really need help.
May 06, 2008 20:29:33 PM [permalink] [report comment]