Burma/Myanmar After Nargis: Time to Normalise Aid Relations

 The massive devastation caused by cyclone Nargis has prompted a period of unprecedented cooperation between the government and international humanitarian
agencies to deliver emergency aid to the survivors.

The international community should seize this opportunity to reverse longstanding, counterproductive aid policies by providing substantial resources for recovery
and rehabilitation of the affected areas and, gradually, expanding and deepening its engagement in support of sustainable human development countrywide. This is essential for humanitarian reasons alone, but also presents the best available opportunity for the international community to promote positive change in Myanmar.

The government’s initial response to the cyclone, which hit Myanmar on 2 May killing over 100,000 people in the Ayeyarwady delta, shocked the world. International agencies and local donors were stopped from delivering aid, putting the lives and welfare of hundreds of
thousands of people in jeopardy. But internal factors, along with international and particularly regional pressure and diplomacy, had their effect, and developments since then show that it is possible to work with the military regime on humanitarian issues. Communication
between the government and international agencies has much improved. Visas and travel permits today are easier and faster to get than before. Requirements for the launch of new aid projects have been eased.

By and large, the authorities are making efforts to facilitate aid, including allowing a substantial role for civil society. In late July, UN Emergency Relief Coordinator John Holmes declared, “This is now a normal international relief operation”. The lead given by ASEAN
in coordinating and fronting international aid efforts has been, and will continue to be, of particular importance.