UN Humanitarian Official Tours Burma

Kean Wong: United Nations humanitarian chief John Holmes visited Burma’s cyclone-hit Irrawaddy delta on Monday. While there he inspected a refugee camp and medical treatment centers. Here’s a look at the situation over there today. John Holmes is expected to meet Prime Minister Thein Sein later today and deliver a message from UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon to the junta generals. Holmes’ visit came as Southeast Asian nations announced they will take the lead in an international aid effort for the storm-ravaged country. The details of the new aid plan will be worked out with the United Nations. Burma agreed to accept nearly 300 medical personnel from its neighbors in the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations or ASEAN. A few have already sent teams two weeks after the disaster which left 134000 dead or missing. But aid workers from outside ASEAN will only be granted visas on a case-by-case basis. UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon will visit Burma himself on Wednesday, when he plans to visit the country’s Irrawaddy delta area which was hit hardest by Cyclone Nargis. Humanitarian agencies say the death toll from Nargis could soar without a massive increase of emergency food, water, shelter and medicine to the delta, the country’s rice bowl.