Experts on Myanmar Available for Interviews

SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Hal Nathan, President of Foundation for the People of Burma (San Francisco), and Beth Jones, program director, are available to provide media interviews on the catastrophe in Myanmar as a result of Cyclone Nargis. The Foundation is the only U.S. based grassroots humanitarian organization focusing exclusively on providing humanitarian aid to Myanmar.

Nathan returned from Myanmar today. He said, “I didn’t see a single tree or power pole left standing in Rangoon, and not one uniformed relief personnel anywhere helping the survivors. Foundation for the People of Burma, through its Burmese staff and its network of partners, is on the ground now, delivering emergency food, water purification and sanitation supplies. These people have faced so much tragedy and we will work with them, for the long-term, to help put the pieces back together.”

Nathan founded the Foundation for the People of Burma in 1999 as a result of extensive travel in the impoverished country. He has a PhD in economics from UC Davis.

Jones has worked in community development in Myanmar and with refugees for nearly ten years and with Foundation for the People of Burma since 2005. She is an expert in humanitarian issues in Myanmar and is spearheading current relief worked on the ground for the survivors of the cyclone.

Nathan and Jones are available to discuss:

• The current state of affairs in cyclone-affected areas
• The ongoing humanitarian crisis in Myanmar
• Background on the history of Myanmar’s government
• Health and human rights issues in Myanmar

Please contact Beth Jones directly at 415.217.7015 or brooke@foundationburma.org for any interview requests.

The Foundation for the People of Burma is the largest independently supported U.S. based humanitarian organization working in Myanmar. Foundation programs have provided tens of thousands of urban and rural citizens with primary education, access to clean water, and basic medical care. The goal is to facilitate positive long lasting change for those facing scarcity and lack of personal freedom.