Narinjara News


Consultants of Foreign NGOs come calling at western Burma

Maungdaw, 17^th June 03:  Two country directors from Aide Medical International (international medical aid), came calling at Maungdaw, the western Burmese town in Rakhine State, according to our correspondent.

The two NGO officials came to the town on the Bangladesh Burma border to check the feasibility of opening up a new branch of the NGO in the border township where recently the repatriation of Muslim Rohingya refugees from Bangladesh has been stepped up.  AMI is a French NGO working in Rangoon and the Thai-Burma border, giving medical assistance to the returning refugees.

Yves, the country director of AMI came on an exploratory trip as the NGO is trying to take over the health programme presently carried out by the UNHCR in the area. 

Between 10^th and 13^th June 03 they visited the state hospitals at Buthidaung and Maungdaw Townships, called at the local UNHCR, ACF (Action Contre le Faim), AZG (Dutch Medicine Sans Frontiers) branches at Maungdaw.  They also visited the local branches of the Myanmar Mother and Child Welfare Association, the Burmese Red Cross, and CARE. 

They also met health workers involved in basic healthcare training, water and biogas exploration, and traditional midwife training programmes. 

Commenting on the flurry of NGO activities limited to the two border townships of Maungdaw and Buthidaung, a prominent politician in the township said that though the entire Rakhine State is devoid of any attention from either the ruling military regime or any international bodies, the concentration of NGO activities only in the bordering areas is simply very sad.  #