Burma agency makes plea to donors

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One of the leading aid agencies working in Burma after Cyclone Nargis has urged the international community not to politicise future aid pledges.

Save the Children said that while basic aid was getting through to survivors, rebuilding their lives would need far greater financial pledges from donors.

It said there was no evidence Burma's government was misappropriating aid.

Development aid to Burma has long been restricted because of sanctions against the military regime.

It has been a month since Burma's military rulers agreed to open access to the Irrawaddy Delta to international aid workers.

Needs being met

Today, most agencies say they are getting as many visas for foreign staff as they want, and being allowed to travel in the delta, provided they allow four days to process the permits to do so.

My fear is that we would go back to a situation where humanitarian aid is politicised Andrew KirkwoodSave the Children

An official assessment team has just completed a survey of the cyclone's survivors, and it found that their most basic needs were now being met, said Andrew Kirkwood, Save the Children's Burma director.

"The vast, vast majority of places they went have received some level of assistance. That is very good news," said Mr Kirkwood.

"At the same time they said almost no-one has received the level of assistance they need to survive and rebuild their lives over the next few months."

And with international interest in the cyclone's aftermath waning, agencies fear funding could fall short.

A total of around $280m (£140m) has already been promised – but Andrew Kirkwood says far more will be needed for a reconstruction effort that could last years.

Little development aid

"Humanitarian assistance to Burma has traditionally been politicized," said Mr Kirkwood.

An estimated 2.4m cyclone survivors remain homeless and in need

"It hasn't been in the two months since the cyclone but my fear is that we would go back to a situation where humanitarian aid is politicised, and that would mean not enough assistance getting through to the people who need it."

Sanctions maintained by key donors like the US have meant that in the past Burma has received very little development aid.

So organisations like the World Bank – which would normally play a leading role in reconstruction – have been prevented from operating in Burma.

It is not yet clear whether that will change.

The 2 May cyclone left more than 130,000 people dead or missing and affected more than two million people, aid agencies say.