NEW YORK—The Open Society Institute today called on Burma's military regime to lift restrictions on the movement of aid organizations in the wake of Cyclone Nargis. OSI's Burma Project/Southeast Asia Initiative said it has committed funds in an effort to funnel much-needed assistance to victims inside the country. The amount that OSI will offer will depend on its ability to ensure that the aid will reach those who need it.

The devastating cyclone on May 2 plunged Burma into the worst humanitarian disaster in the country's modern history. The hardest hit areas are also the most populous; 24 million of the country's 53 million people live in the five worst hit disaster regions. Burma's military junta (the State Peace and Development Council or SPDC) admits to upwards of 22,000 dead, 40,000 missing persons, and 1 million homeless. In the coming days, these numbers may prove to be underestimated—the top U.S. diplomat in Rangoon has said one aid agency estimated at least a 100,000 dead.

Burma's military regime currently is stalling on issuing visas to United Nations aid workers as well as international nongovernmental organizations that stand ready to provide assistance. Severe restrictions have also been placed on the movement of NGO workers inside the affected areas, including prohibiting aid organizations access to several of the most devastated zones of the Irrawaddy delta region.

Despite the crisis, the regime has announced that a national constitutional referendum, scheduled for this Saturday, May 10, will proceed as planned. Only in the hardest hit areas will voting be postponed until May 24. The constitution, which Human Rights Watch calls a sham, is designed to entrench military rule more deeply.

The Indian Meteorological Department stated that Burma's military regime received a warning 48-hours in advance yet failed to inform the public or to order an immediate evacuation.

If you would like to make personal donations, we recommend supporting the following organizations:

U.S. Campaign for Burma
Avaaz
World Vision
Save the Children
MSF Holland
Mae Tao Clinic