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<!-- IMAGE -->On May 2, 2008, Cyclone
Nargis struck Burma, devastating much of the Irrawaddy Delta, wiping out entire
villages, and leaving at least 138,000 people dead or missing, and another
800,000 homeless. One year later, despite hundreds of millions of dollars in food
aid and emergency assistance, houses destroyed by the storm have yet to be
rebuilt. Shortages of supplies, including drinking water, continue to hamper
recovery efforts. Hundreds of thousands of people are still without jobs and
decent housing.
After weeks of refusing to allow foreign aid groups access to the Irrawaddy
Delta, the military regime that rules Burma eventually joined the Tri-Partite
Core Group, formed by the Association of South-East Asian Nations and the
United Nations to provide urgent humanitarian relief and recovery work for the
victims of Cyclone Nargis. Scores of aid groups and foreign governments,
including the United States, provided money and supplies to help the Burmese
people recover from the disaster.
"We remember those who died and offer our deepest condolences to the
families who lost loved ones," said Department of State Acting Spokesman
Robert Wood in a written statement on the anniversary of the disaster. "We
also honor the bravery and sacrifice of the Burmese people who have worked
tirelessly alongside the United States and the international community to help
their neighbors attempt to rebuild their lives.
"Since the storm, the United States has provided nearly $75 million in
humanitarian assistance to the people of Burma. This provision of assistance
would not have been possible without the work of the Association of Southeast
Asian Nations and the United Nations, which have facilitated the entry of
humanitarian assistance and aid workers over the past year through the Tripartite
Core Group.
"We also acknowledge the unfailing work of many non-governmental
organizations that provided vital aid and assistance," said Acting
Spokesman Wood. "We express our firm hope that the Burmese government will
continue to allow the delivery of humanitarian assistance to the Burmese people
in the affected area, and will also allow expanded access for assistance needed
elsewhere in the country," he said. "As we recall the Nargis tragedy,
we also express our hope for a better future for all of Burma's citizens."