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Government pledges extra £12m in aid for Burma

15/05/2008

The government has pledged an extra £12 million in aid for victims of Cyclone Nargis in Burma.

The aid follows the announcement last week promising £5 million, bringing the total financial support package to £17 million.

International development minister Douglas Alexander said in a statement today: "The lives of many hundreds of thousands of people are at stake. We know that people are lacking the basics such as clean drinking water, food and healthcare. This additional £12 million will allow humanitarian teams on the ground to continue to deliver emergency assistance.

Mr Douglas said that priority was now to "deliver humanitarian aid as quickly as possible" and said "the clock is ticking".

"I reiterate our call on the Burmese authorities to grant full and unfettered access for international assistance. This is the key challenge if we are to save thousands of lives over the coming days," he added.

"Our initial £5 million contribution is already making a difference to the people in Burma. We have already provided shelter for 43,000 people which has arrived in Rangoon and is being distributed by the UN. Fourteen flat-bottomed boats will arrive tomorrow and will be used to get much needed aid into the Irrawaddy Delta. More UK relief flights will follow."

Charities Save the Children and Action Against Hunger have both donated over £1 million to help the people of Burma who are currently suffering from a lack of clean water and food since the cyclone hit.

The Red Cross has said today that as many as 128,000 people may have been killed in the cyclone.