U.S. to provide more fund for post-Nargis recovery in Myanmar
U Myint Lwin
www.chinaview.cn 2009-10-08 19:53:47
YANGON, Oct. 8 (Xinhua) -- The United States will extend a fund of 10
million U.S. dollars more to Myanmar through international non-
governmental organizations for post-Nargis recovery program in cyclone-
hit areas, according to diplomatic sources Thursday.
The U.S. government has so far provided 75 million dollars' aid to the
country since last year and the amount stood the largest among that of
donor countries, the sources said.
In April this year, the U.S. also donated 16,000 tons of rice for
cyclone victims.
Meanwhile, a Tripartite Core Group (TCG) involving Myanmar, ASEAN and
the United Nations will seek a fund of 103 million U.S. dollars more
through a planned conference on post-Nargis recovery aid.
It was decided by a recent meeting of the recovery forum held in
Yangon in line with the Post-Nargis Recovery and Preparedness Plan
(PONREPP) and along with the construction plan of the Myanmar
government.
The fund will be intended for use in such emergency sectors as
education, health, sanitation, house construction and livelihood.
According to the PONREPP, the medium-term recovery needs amounts to
USD 691 million over the next three years (2009-2011)highlighted
during the PONREPP launch in February 2009 in Bangkok.
Covering the first year after Nargis, 315 million dollars (66 percent)
of the UN revised appeal was raised out of a total requirement of 477
million dollars, according to the TCG.
The TCG, comprising high-level representatives from the Government of
Myanmar, ASEAN and the UN, was set up on May 30, 2008 after storm.
Deadly tropical cyclone Nargis hit five divisions and states -
Ayeyawaddy, Yangon, Bago, Mon and Kayin on May 2 and 3 last year, of
which Ayeyawaddy and Yangon inflicted the heaviest casualties and
massive infrastructure damage.
The storm has killed 84,537 people, leaving 53,836 missing and 19,359
injured according to official death toll.
Editor: Li Xianzhi