‘A Tragic Situation’

The exact death toll is still unknown. But the United Nations already estimates that more than 10,000 people lost their lives and thousands more were displaced in the cyclone that devastated Burma over the weekend. That makes it the most devastating disaster to hit the region since the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami that killed more than 180,000 residents of Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia and other Southeast Asian countries.

As the hunt for the missing continues, aid agencies are scrambling to help those hurt or dispossessed by the storm. Survivors may have escaped with their lives, but they still face epidemics and starvation from contaminated food and water supplies. In addition, Burma—governed by a notoriously repressive and reclusive junta—poses distinct challenges to international relief workers, who will have to penetrate a closed society with limited infrastructure. Rashid Khalikov, the New York director of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, spoke to NEWSWEEK's Daniel Stone about the problems that lie ahead. Excerpts:

NEWSWEEK: What is the international community currently doing to get aid to the affected areas of Burma?
Rashid Khalikov: Before we do anything, one has to take into account the specific damage that has been waged. The roads have been blocked, communications [are] down, and the area is not the most advanced in terms of communication capabilities. So it's very difficult to assess the damage at this point. What we know is that the population in the affected territories is 24 million. We have no reason to believe that anything has been done in terms of preparedness, so we'll probably see a lot of people sitting in their houses who were directly hit when the cyclone happened.

What are some of the threats facing the victims in the short and longer term?
Epidemics. It's quite warm there this time of year. You have a lot of water that can become stagnated, and that becomes a recipe for all kinds of disasters. Plus, normal water supply systems are damaged, so the access to clean water won't be easy. This creates a challenge to make sure epidemics won't happen. The second thing is that with so many people whose lives were disturbed, they will need some kind of shelter. There were reports that a lot of houses were damaged and destroyed and some entire villages were totally wiped out. And, of course, there will be food. When people have their households and livelihoods damaged in that way, they will require food—and we're not talking about a population that has very strong mechanisms [for food access] in place to begin with.

Have you heard any eyewitness accounts of the situation on the ground?
Most of what we know is from the limited briefings we have had. But starting tomorrow we'll begin assessments by U.N. agencies. A specialized group of experts is also assembled in Bangkok and will be ready to go as soon as visas are issued.

What distinct challenges are you facing getting relief to people who live in such a closed society?
Well, if you think back to the tsunami, there was a clear indication that the damage would be very big. But it was not clear what happened to Burma in some of the most affected areas, because there was not good communication. It has been very difficult to assess the situation. We are negotiating with the government in Burma and in New York. The mission is to find out what kind of arrangements can we put in place to make sure an international relief effort is effective. In every other country we have aided we have to work out arrangements how to work with local authorities. We have to understand that this is their country and we are there to help. I think everyone on both sides is interested in having the arrangements that would facilitate this assistance.