Aid workers in Burma say their work is hindered by a “climate of tension,” according to UPI news agency. Recent religious violence that has seen Buddhists face off against Muslims, with sometimes fatal results, has limited access to certain conflict-riven regions and hindered the recruitment of national staff, aid organizations say. “In the current climate of tension, threats and intimidation by some radical elements of the Rakhine [Arakanese] population, implementing partners face major difficulties in retaining and recruiting national staff,” a spokesman for the European Commission on Humanitarian Aid was quoted as saying.