Burma blocks aid

More aid is reaching Burma now than before but aid groups say it’s still just a tiny fraction of the need. This analyst of World Vision says it’s relying completely on its Burmese staff, about 600 people. Ordinary Burmese say they’re being prevented from helping other victims. The Burmese government’s intransigence leads some to believe that it’s time for the international community to carry out an intervention by military force if necessary. The UN Security Council was divided on the issue with China opposed to meddling in internal affairs. This analyst says there’s only so much work that can be accomplished without the help of the local government. He says some medicines for example need to be refrigerated and administered by trained officials, and that the scale of the disaster also makes distribution very difficult. He says the Burmese government is worried that letting in foreign aid groups could weaken its control over the population but he adds that by proving their incompetence they might face an even greater backlash.