Five million Burmese starving: WFP

October 19, 2007 - Its vast natural agricultural potential notwithstanding, one in ten Burmese remains hungry, the UN food agency said citing the ruling junta's refusal to pursue economic reforms as the root cause of starvations in the country.

Tony Banbury, Regional Director for Asia of the World Food Programme, who last week visited Burma, said on Thursday at least five million people, of the estimated 50 million population is short of food while numerous others wallow in extreme poverty.

"Myanmar [ Burma] and its people have tremendous potential. But the government's policies, its harsh travel and trade restrictions, unnecessarily trap millions to a life of poverty and malnutrition, even in food surplus areas such as Shan State," Banbury said in a statement.

The people of Burma, a country once known as the rice-bowl of Southeast Asia, are struggling hard to survive on meager meals, said Banbury.

While the WFP provides food to about 500,000 vulnerable people in Burma, the agency is also suffering from fund constraints and it cannot supply the required amount of food, Banbury said.

"Humanitarian organizations can help, but we are faced with insufficient funding, and whatever we manage to accomplish in the current circumstances will only scratch the surface," added the WFP's regional director.

The Burmese junta needs to immediately pursue economic reforms in order to lift people out of poverty and hunger, as humanitarian assistance from aid agencies alone will not be sufficient to transform the lives of millions of vulnerable Burmese people, Banbury added.