AMERICAN GIVING | Strengthening communities through generosity
14 May 2008
United States Commits $17.4 Million to Assist Burma
Government, private aid reaching country
Washington -- The United States will give $13 million in food and logistical assistance to the U.N. World Food Programme (WFP) for relief to Burma, bringing to $17.4 million total U.S. government assistance made available to the country thus far.
The total includes an initial $3.25 million channeled through nongovernmental organizations and the United Nations and the value of supplies that have arrived in Burma to date.
"Beyond this $17.4 million, we are prepared to provide substantial additional humanitarian assistance, subject to assurances that the initial relief is effectively reaching cyclone victims in the affected areas," said Ky Luu, director of USAID's Office of U.S. Foreign Disaster Assistance.
Henrietta Fore, U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) administrator, and Admiral Timothy Keating, commander of the U.S. Pacific Command, May 12 delivered to Burma an initial planeload of bottled water, blankets and insecticide-treated bed nets to protect against malaria. A USAID press release said the supplies will benefit up to 30,000 people in the country, which was struck by devastating Cyclone Nargis May 3. Two additional humanitarian assistance flights were planned for May 13.
USAID disaster-assistance personnel remain in Bangkok, Thailand, coordinating U.S. assistance and waiting for the Burmese government to approve their entry into the country, USAID said.
The United States continues to encourage more access for the international relief community to provide critical life-saving supplies, USAID said.
NONGOVERNMENTAL GROUP PROVIDING AID
One group able to help Burma now is the online nongovernmental organization GlobalGiving, which is based in Washington.
Donations made online to GlobalGiving are wired to partner organizations in Burma. The partners then use the funds for local purchases of food, clean water and tarps, GlobalGiving co-founder and Chief Executive Officer Dennis Whittle told America.gov.
GlobalGiving's advantage is that it is a "network organization" that immediately can match a donor to a cause or group the donor selects, he said.
GlobalGiving received approximately $100,000 in donations for Burma relief efforts within the first 36 hours of the disaster, and the pace of donations has accelerated, Whittle said.
The organization is working with partners such as International Development Enterprises (IDE) and Save the Children that have local workers who can purchase from trusted vendors. These partners also have credit with the vendors so they can purchase supplies immediately while waiting to receive the wired funds, Whittle said.
"The key is to get people stabilized and on dry ground," he added.
Workers go village to village and talk to residents, then make quick determinations about what is immediately needed in a village, Whittle said.
GlobalGiving is waiting for Burma's government to approve its working on additional efforts such as rebuilding, Whittle said.
Co-founded by Whittle and Mari Kuraishi, both former World Bank executives, GlobalGiving connects individuals and corporations with specific projects.
In another development, the U.S. Department of the Treasury has removed the limit on funds U.S. individuals are allowed to send to family and friends in Burma.
"The people of Burma need all the help we can provide during this crisis," said Treasury's Adam Szubin in a May 12 press release.
Prior to the action, noncommercial, personal remittances to Burma were permitted only if the total remittances did not exceed $300 per recipient household during a three-month period.
The measure does not allow transfers by, to or through persons blocked under the Burma sanctions program, according to the press release.
Information about USAID's humanitarian assistance to Burma is available on the agency's Web site.
Information about GlobalGiving’s efforts is available on the organization's Web site.
