Direct Relief today postponed its initial shipment of aid due to the widely reported reluctance of the Myanmar government’ to accept outside aid. An emergency conference call today with fellow members of the Partnership for Quality Medical Donations, which includes over a dozen healthcare companies and colleague humanitarian nonprofits, confirmed all aid groups – as well as governments – are encountering the same obstacles.

With material assistance to cyclone victims impeded, we approved an immediate investment of $25,000 to a long-time, established partner clinic that operates on the Thai side of the border and is scaling up relief operations to the maximum extent possible.

Direct Relief’s Asia program officer will be coordinating efforts from Thailand beginning Saturday.