French aid ship awaits Myanmar decision
- added May 17, 2008
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- Burma Cyclone (87)
- Military Junta (29)
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A French navy vessel packed with 1,000 tons of humanitarian aid for cyclone survivors is prepared to wait for "days or weeks" off the coast of Myanmar as the military junta debates whether to accept the goods, the vessel's commander said Saturday.
Le Mistral spent all day Saturday sailing in circles about 22 kilometers (13 miles) outside Myanmar's territorial waters waiting for a green light that did not come.
"We are patrolling in place while waiting for the authorization," Rear Adm. Alain Hinden said by telephone from the ship. "The ship itself can stay here for days or weeks" if needed, he added.
The French government is hoping it doesn't take that long.
France's U.N. ambassador, Jean-Maurice Ripert, criticized Myanmar's military junta Friday, saying the government's refusal to allow aid to be delivered to people in need "could lead to a true crime against humanity."
The official death toll from Cyclone Nargis has soared to 78,000 with about 56,000 missing. Aid groups say the death toll alone is probably about 128,000, with many more deaths possible from disease and starvation unless help gets quickly to some 2.5 million survivors of the May 2-3 disaster.
Despite having few means to deliver aid quickly and efficiently, the isolationist military government insists it does not want international aid groups to manage relief operations in the desperately poor country.
Le Mistral is carrying 1,000 tons of materials, including food, water, cooking utensils, tents and basic medicines. Its 400 tons of rice is enough to feed 100,000 people for 15 days, the French Defense Ministry said in a statement.
Negotiations between the two countries began about 10 days ago, shortly after the cyclone struck, Hinden said.
Le Mistral spent all day Saturday sailing in circles about 22 kilometers (13 miles) outside Myanmar's territorial waters waiting for a green light that did not come.
"We are patrolling in place while waiting for the authorization," Rear Adm. Alain Hinden said by telephone from the ship. "The ship itself can stay here for days or weeks" if needed, he added.
The French government is hoping it doesn't take that long.
France's U.N. ambassador, Jean-Maurice Ripert, criticized Myanmar's military junta Friday, saying the government's refusal to allow aid to be delivered to people in need "could lead to a true crime against humanity."
The official death toll from Cyclone Nargis has soared to 78,000 with about 56,000 missing. Aid groups say the death toll alone is probably about 128,000, with many more deaths possible from disease and starvation unless help gets quickly to some 2.5 million survivors of the May 2-3 disaster.
Despite having few means to deliver aid quickly and efficiently, the isolationist military government insists it does not want international aid groups to manage relief operations in the desperately poor country.
Le Mistral is carrying 1,000 tons of materials, including food, water, cooking utensils, tents and basic medicines. Its 400 tons of rice is enough to feed 100,000 people for 15 days, the French Defense Ministry said in a statement.
Negotiations between the two countries began about 10 days ago, shortly after the cyclone struck, Hinden said.
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