By Xinhua,
Yangon : Myanmar Prime Minister General Thein Sein on Sunday welcomed more international aid to be extended by the international community, and reiterated the country’s thanks for the aid, which has been sent in.
Thein Sein made the remarks here at the ongoing international pledging conference, co-organized by the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and the United Nations and participated by 52 countries and 24 UN organizations and international non-governmental organizations.
“We would warmly welcome any assistance and aid which are provided with genuine goodwill from any country and organization provided that there are no strings attached nor politicization involved,” he said, adding that donations of relief supplies will be accepted through land route, by sea or by air.
He stressed that those supplies to be sent by sea can be brought by civil ships to the Port of Yangon. The port and the Yangon International Airport have been designated as transportation hubs from where the government will facilitate the transportation to cyclone-affected areas.
“For those groups who are interested in rehabilitation and reconstruction, Myanmar government is ready to accept them in accordance with our priority and the extent of work that need to be done,” he said.
With regard to the agricultural sector hit in the recent cyclone storm, he said large amount of fertilizer, more fuel and hand- and power- tillers are needed for cultivation to replace the cattle lost in the storm.
He said the country needs fishing boats and vessels, fishing gears and fuel oil.
On the reconstruction work, he called for more corrugated iron sheets for roofing materials and nails.
He said there were over 1.064 million homeless who have been rescued and evacuated to temporary shelters.
He said the country has received 3,273.2 tons of aid supplies sent in through 221 cargo flights from international well-wishers and various countries and organizations.
He confirmed that the government has spent up to 70 billion Kyats (63.63 million U.S. dollars) in relief efforts .
Seven townships in Ayeyawaddy division and 40 townships in Yangon division were severely affected.
At the conference, Myanmar Minister of National Planning and Economic Development U Soe Tha put the total amount of damage and loss from the cyclone at 10.7 billion U.S. dollars.
The ASEAN-U.N. international pledging conference opened earlier on Sunday to seek further international financial aid commitment for Myanmar’s cyclone aid relief and rehabilitation efforts.
It was also attended by U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, ASEAN Secretary-General Surin Pitsuwan, Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi and Singapore Foreign Minister George Yeo along with other delegates from U.N. and ASEAN member states as well as those from U.N. agencies, international financial institutions and non-governmental organizations totaling over 360.
The pledging conference came after Ban and Surin visited Myanmar during the week. The U.N. chief’s tour on Thursday and Friday has taken him to two cyclone-devastated areas in the Ayeyawaddy delta.