ENGLISH DEYEA NEWS

Solomon : New Delhi - A French non-governmental organization, Telecoms Sans Frontieres (TSF), which had rushed to Burma to help in reconstruction in the wake of the killer cyclone, left the country, as the ruling junta restricted its movement outside Rangoon city. The French team stayed for just 15 days.

Monique Lanne-Petit director of TSF in Pau, France said the team of technicians, who arrived in Rangoon on June 1, had to leave the country as they were not allowed to move outside Rangoon.

"We got visas but have been confined to Rangoon, without being allowed access to the field. Our aim was to help the people. Now we have decided to leave," Monique Lanne-Petit director of TSF told Mizzima.

"We did not want to stay for a long time in Rangoon, so we left," she added.

The TSF team aimed to provide technical assistance and install back up communication solutions in the delta region to establish better communication among the aid agencies as well as to connect cyclone survivors with their relatives outside the country under the coordination of United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF).

"Normally, we provide assistance to people to contact their relatives both inside and outside the country," said Lanne-Petit.

But the six-member TSF team had to go back to their base after fifteen days unable to assess the extent of damage caused on telecommunication by the cyclone in the delta region.

"It was very important for us to go there and establish communication because it is important for all aid agencies to have communication lines functioning," Lanne-Petit added.

In the aftermath of Cyclone Nargis lashing Burma's southwest coastal region on May 2 and 3, all communication lines including telephones lines were down along with houses and huts.

For several days information on the extent of devastation was unknown to the outside world, as the communication lines including roads and water ways were severely hit by the cyclone.

Laksmita Noviera, spokesperson of the United Nations Coordination office in Rangoon said, communication support is among the most urgent needs in relief efforts being carried out in the cyclone hit areas.

"Telecommunication facilities are needed to support our relief efforts on the ground," said Noviera.

She added that there are on going difficulties in communicating between the sub-office and central or head office in Rangoon to request for more help for the people on the ground.

However, she said the relief efforts are being carried out even in the current circumstances.

"So far there is no major significant concern from our aid workers on that but of course if there is more support that will be better," Noviera added.

Telecoms Sans Frontieres was founded in 1998 and has offices in France, Nicaragua and Thailand. It became an official partner of the United Nations in 2006.

TSF is sponsored by the world's leading telecommunications companies including Vodafone, and is appointed the First Emergency Telecoms Responder of OCHA and UNICEF under the UN Emergency Telecoms Cluster (ETC) in 2006.