The government of Myanmar had not responded to a request to waive visa requirements for international relief
workers waiting for permission to bring much needed aid to victims of Cyclone
Nargis, the UN said Tuesday.
The UN had asked the government in Myanmar to waive visas for relief workers
assembled in nearby Bangkok so they can begin their journey to Myanmar, said
Rachid Khalikov, an official of the UN emergency relief department at UN
headquarters in New York. But the Myanmar embassy in Bangkok was closed on
Monday for a Thai holiday.
"So far, there were no instructions for visas in Bangkok," Khalikov
said.
In the past other countries have waived visa requirements to aid in relief
efforts. For example, aid workers could provide emergency assistance to
earthquake victims in Iran because that country waived visa requirements.
The devastating cyclone hit Myanmar over the weekend and the government there
said more than 22,000 people have been killed and more than 40,000 people were
missing. The government said more than 100,000 people needed urgent
humanitarian assistance.
Khalikov said the UN headquarters in New York has had difficulties gathering
information on conditions in Myanmar because of problems in communications with
its staff in Myanmar. UN officials had met with Myanmar diplomats in New York to discuss urgent steps to assist the people in the impoverished south-east Asian
nation, but they were also stymied by communication problems, DPA reported.
...