CRBs Of The Day: U.N. 'furious' as Myanmar aid 'seized'

It happened.

I'm on the side of the UN.

Of course it took a moronic depredating military junta to do it...

U.N. 'furious' as Myanmar aid 'seized' - CNN.com

(excerpted)

BANGKOK, Thailand (CNN) -- Aid agencies are furious over the Myanmar government's refusal to allow them to distribute food and supplies flown in for cyclone disaster victims.

The ruling military junta has been allowing planes to land, but is not letting the cargo be distributed by most foreign aid workers, especially those from Western nations.

The United Nations issued a "flash appeal" Friday to raise $187.3 million in cyclone relief for Myanmar based assessments by more than 20 organizations. It includes $56 million for food, nearly $50 million for logistics and about $20 million for shelter.

The Asia head of the U.N. World Food Program said Friday that the government had seized the contents of two flights that arrived in the morning at Yangon which carried enough food for 95,000 people. They contained 38 tons of high-energy biscuits, medical kits and other items.

"We off-loaded the food, and then the authorities refused us permission to take that food away," WFP director Tony Banbury said.

"We were told we needed a special letter from the Minister of Social Welfare. We hand-delivered a request to him. The answer back was 'No, you can't have the food.'

"That food is now sitting on the tarmac doing no good. I'm furious. This is unacceptable."

In response, the U.N. temporarily suspended its emergency airlifts.