£5 million UK aid for Burma
6 May 2008
International Development Secretary Douglas Alexander today
announced an initial UK contribution of up to £5 million to help with emergency
relief efforts following Cyclone Nargis.
The Department for International Development (DFID) also
announced it will be sending an emergency field team to help with the wider
international relief efforts and support the DFID team already in Burma.
The UK financial contribution is the largest pledge for
support from the international community so far. The UK will continue to support
the work of the UN and other aid agencies to help deliver the most effective
response to the situation.
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Latest reports indicate that more than 22,000 people have lost their lives and
up to 5 million people may be affected. The full scale of the disaster will only
become apparent over the next few days as relief teams reach remote communities
in the Irrawaddy Delta.
The UK is one of the few countries providing long term humanitarian assistance
inside Burma. In October 2007, the UK announced that it would increase its aid
for the poorest people in Burma to £18 million by 2010.
The UK is the largest country donor to the UN’s Central Emergency Response Fund
(CERF), giving £40 million a year. The CERF is in place to assist following
disasters such as Cyclone Nargis.
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