BANGKOK, May 24 (TNA) - The inaugural Thai-ASEAN-UN relief flight for victims of Cyclone Nargis in Myanmar left Don Mueang Airport in Bangkok Saturday evening, the first tangible joint cooperation after the United Nations chief visited Myanmar earlier this week.
UN secretary general Ban Ki-moon said after meeting with the country's most powerful figure, Senior Gen. Than Shwe, that the ruling military junta promised to open its doors to international aid workers and humanitarian relief.
"It is our duty to do everything we can to prevent further deaths and suffering," Mr. Ban said.
The inaugural flight was witnessed by Thai Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej, Association of Southeast Asian Nation (ASEAN) secretary general Surin Pitsuwan and the UN chief.
The ceremony was held at the newly established UN Staging Area (UNSA) located at Warehouse Number 3 close to the tarmac at Don Mueang Airport.
UNSA was set up to ensure that relief cargo deliveries to support cyclone victims in Myanmar are streamlined and coordinated by consolidating and giving priorities to cargo according to need prior to air-lifting, to ensure that the capacities at the receiving airport in Yangon are not over-stretched and to ensure speedy deliveries to the affected populations.
The first flight was an Antonov 12S plane carrying 12 tons of of aid including three water purifiers that could each produce 10,000 litres per day, as well as medicine and medical equipments and consumer products.
There would be two flights daily to Myanmar.
The secretary general thanked the Australian government for aircraft to ferry UN helicopters to Bangkok, and the Canadian government which helped airlift five helicopters from the Ukraine.
Thai Prime Minister said at the ceremony that the flight showed the close cooperation among international organizations on humanitarian aid. He added that Myanmar would identify its need during the donors' conference in Myanmar on Sunday.
Over 45 countries and organizations will attend UN sponsored aid conference for Myanmar cyclone survivors in Yangon which aimed to mobilise funds for immediate humanitarian assistance for the survivors of Cyclone Nargis, which killed about 78,000 and left another 56,000 missing.
The UN chief thanked Thai government for allowing the use of Don Mueang Airport to set up the staging area to coordinate the aid flowing into Yangon.
The ASEAN secretary general said it was an honour for ASEAN to be part of the coordination to help Myanmar, one of its members, and would give its full support to help Myanmar overcome the situation. (TNA)-E003
General News : Last Update : 21:02:15 24 May 2008 (GMT+7:00)
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