Contact: U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) Press Office, 202-712-4320; Public Information, 202-712-4810

WASHINGTON, June 6 /Standard Newswire/ -- The American people, through the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), have provided more than $27.6 million in emergency assistance for Burma in response to the devastation caused by Cyclone Nargis. This, combined with the $7.5 million in assistance from the Department of Defense (DOD), brings the total USG assistance to Burma to $35.1 million. With this money USAID has funded 13 UN and NGO partners working in the affected areas to provide programs in 10 different sectors. These sectors focus on health, shelter, water and sanitation, and hygiene programs, as well as food assistance. The USAID-funded programs target more than 1 million beneficiaries in Burma.

USAID has also coordinated with the DOD to fly 116 C-130 sorties of relief commodities to Rangoon, Burma, 45 of which carried USAID commodities consigned directly to NGO, UN, and international organization (IO) partners, while 21 carried NGO and UN agency commodities.

Our partners have reported that the commodities, which included items such as plastic sheeting for shelter, water, blankets, hygiene kits, insecticide-treated bed nets, and boats to facilitate transport to remote areas, are having a significant impact. The USG commodity pipeline facilitated by DOD transport has been extremely successful in getting these desperately needed commodities to the Burmese people.

For more information about USAID's emergency humanitarian assistance in the aftermath of Cyclone Nargis, please visit: www.usaid.gov , USAID Keyword: Nargis or directly at www.usaid.gov/locations/asia/countries/burma/cyclone_nargis.