Statement of Gregory C. Gottlieb
Deputy Assistant Administrator
Bureau for Democracy, Conflict and Humanitarian Assistance
Before the House Committee on Foreign Affairs
Subcommittee on
Thank you Mr. Chairman and Members of the subcommittee for
the opportunity to appear before you today to discuss the humanitarian
emergency in
I want to begin by extending the deepest condolences to the
people of
CURRENT SITUATION
Tropical Storm Nargis made
landfall at about 1600 hours local time on Friday, May 2, to the west of
The magnitude of
the death and suffering is overwhelming.
As of May 19, the U.N. estimated that 2.4 million people were affected. Cyclone-related deaths could range from
63,000 to more than 101,000, the U.N. reports.
An additional 220,000 people were still believed to be missing. However, the Burmese government estimates are
lower. On state-run TV, the GOB has
confirmed 77,000 deaths and 56,000 missing persons, as of May 19.
Those who
survived are suffering immensely. Aid
agencies working in the region report that hundreds of thousands of people are
now homeless. Some are reportedly moving
from place to place in search of the very basics – food, water, medical care
for injuries sustained during the cyclone, and plastic sheeting to protect them
from continuing seasonal rains. At least
150,000 people are displaced in a mixture of 120 official and unofficial
temporary settlements in the Ayeyarwady Delta, as of May 18. What we understand about these gatherings is
that many are overcrowded, and that sanitation conditions are appalling.
Unfortunately,
despite the tireless efforts of the aid personnel on the ground, the
international humanitarian community still does not have a complete and
accurate picture of the situation. The
Government of Burma has been slow to grant visas for international aid workers,
including for USAID’s team of experts.
Those aid workers who receive visas are mostly confined to
On May 18,
The U.S. Pacific Command is prepared to provide relief
supplies, including food, water, blankets, and medical supplies; equipment; and
personnel to help in the relief efforts in Burma.
There are now a total of 11,000 service members and four
Naval Ships in the region that could be used for aid to the Burmese
people. Our Naval assets (USS
In addition, there are approximately a dozen cargo aircraft
(C-130 and C-17), along with about a dozen heavy and medium lift helicopters
(CH/MH-53 and CH-46) at Utapao Air Base in Thailand, that are available for the
relief effort. The
Our reports indicate that while supplies are slowly getting out to affected areas, at best 20 percent of the 2.4 million people who are affected had received any aid as of May 19. Only 250,000 of those 2.4 million people had received food aid through the World Food Program. Our own 20 relief flights of USAID commodities completed between May 12 and 19 will serve more than 106,000 people with merely a fraction of the supplies they need. Furthermore, health experts predict that if medical staffs do not have full access to affected populations, major outbreaks of disease could develop in the coming weeks, making this phase only the beginning of a much graver emergency.
HUMANITARIAN NEEDS
I have touched on some of the needs, but I would like to explain in further detail the extent of the aid that is required to help those affected by the cyclone. The U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs reports that critical needs include water and sanitation, food, shelter, and medical care.
Our leading concerns
continue to be the provision of safe drinking water and the prevention and
treatment of diseases associated with poor water and sanitation
conditions. Aid agencies are
extremely concerned about insufficient access to safe drinking water; a lack of
water containers; and issues with sanitation and hygiene.
The U.N. World Health Organization (WHO) has reported that
an increase in the area in which mosquitoes and other insects can breed is expected to result in higher than usual numbers of
people becoming sick with malaria and dengue fever within weeks. Even during an average rainy season in the
delta, incidence of these illnesses is high.
If medical staff cannot get to those in need to provide preventative and
curative care, the outcome may be dire. WHO
and other agencies are pre-positioning drugs and rapid test kits, as well as
distributing insecticide-treated mosquito nets where possible.
Urgent relief needs include safe
drinking water, shelter materials, water purification tablets, cooking sets,
mosquito nets, food, medicine, and sanitation facilities. USAID, as well as other donors and relief
agencies, continue to airlift emergency relief commodities into
Food security is also a major concern for relief
organizations. Even in good times, the
nutritional status of those living in the delta region is poor. The U.N. notes that in cyclone-affected areas
more than 30 percent of children under five years old are chronically
malnourished. This condition results from
a combination of factors, including insufficient nutritious food, poor health
care access, inadequate water and sanitation facilities, poor maternal and
child care, and few livelihoods opportunities.
As of May 18, the World Food Program had dispatched more than 1,240
metric tons of rice, high-energy biscuits, and beans to
The cyclone hit at the beginning of the rainy season in
USAID RESPONSE
The USAID response to the crisis in
The USAID Disaster Assistance Response Team, which we refer
to as a DART, remains in
Our DART includes experts with various specialties. With many years of disaster response experience, the technical assistance personnel on a DART are usually relied on by local officials and implementing partners as expert consultants in disaster settings worldwide. In a large-scale international disaster, the most important role a DART plays is that of field-level hands-on coordinators. A DART can help identify gaps and priorities and efficiently target assistance to those who need it most. In addition, the DART can oversee firsthand the proper management and accountability of American taxpayer dollars, a responsibility we take very seriously.
When a DART is not present during a large-scale emergency,
we are not able to adequately assess and coordinate efforts with our
international counterparts and local officials.
We cannot talk to those who are affected, to see damage firsthand. It takes us longer to determine the best
course of action and use of our resources.
We have to work hard to learn of gaps in assistance through third
parties – requiring us to try to de-conflict third-party reports – and use our
years of expertise to make sense of what we are hearing. This is exactly what our team is doing in
Our team is also coordinating the movement of all
Between May 12 and 19, the Department of Defense completed 31 airlifts of emergency relief commodities, including 20 airlifts of USAID commodities such as USAID stocks of hygiene kits, insecticide-treated bed nets to protect against malaria, containers for drinking water, and plastic sheeting for shelter. These supplies will help more than 106,000 people.
USAID Administrator, Henrietta Fore; Admiral Timothy
Keating, Commander of the U.S. Pacific Command; U.S. Ambassador to ASEAN Scot Marciel; and DART team leader Bill Berger accompanied the
first airlift of relief supplies to Burma on May 12. Administrator Fore and Admiral Keating were
met in
The Burmese officials expressed their thanks for the relief
supplies, and Administrator Fore and Admiral Keating talked about what further
assistance the
The supplies were handed over to the Burmese authorities who
had helicopters assets capable of moving the much-needed supplies to the
victims in the delta region. While on
the ground in
On May 16, USAID began handing over supplies directly to
non-governmental organizations, which have the ability to transport supplies
into the affected areas and distribute them to beneficiaries. This shift will provide more accountability
to ensure that
As I mentioned earlier, the provision of these supplies is the second component of our assistance. The third component is the funding we provide to NGOs and U.N. organizations that are working in the affected areas.
As of May 19, the U.S. Agency for
International Development had provided $17.5 million in aid to
Another $1 million has been channeled through the American
Red Cross, and more than $2 million channeled through World Vision, Save the
Children, and Pact–NGO partners, who are currently working in the disaster
region. OFDA is also providing $1
million to the World Food Program to support logistics services for
humanitarian organizations. USAID's Office of Food for Peace is providing $12 million
of P.L. 480 Title II food aid to be provided through the World Food Program.
When combined with the cost of
relief supplies and funds to the Department of Defense for logistics, this
brings total U.S. Government humanitarian assistance made available as of May
19 to more than $30 million.
THE WAY AHEAD
This is a disaster of immense proportions with serious consequences for
USAID is working to fund NGOs and U.N. agencies that are currently operating in the affected areas. We will rely on these trusted partners to help us understand the humanitarian needs and provide appropriate aid to those who need it. We’re also continuing efforts to persuade the Burmese government to allow in more experts and aid workers. We are closely monitoring reports that would indicate deteriorations in the health situation, and we are working to ensure relief supplies and services reach those who need them.
Above all, I want to emphasize that USAID still remains
ready to help. We continue to stand by
the people of