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The United States is still waiting for approval from Myanmar to
start military aid flights for survivors of Cyclone Nargis, its
ambassador to Bangkok said.
"This morning, we and our Thai allies thought we had a decision
from the Burmese leadership to let the C-130 in. As of now, we
don't have that decision," US ambassador Eric John told a news
conference in the Thai capital.
"We don't have permission yet for the C-130 to go in but I
emphasise 'yet'" John said.
Earlier, Thai Supreme Commander Boonsrang Niumpradit said the US
military had been given the green light and an embassy official
confirmed the decision.
The decision was surprising given the huge distrust and acrimony
between the former Burma's generals and Washington, which has
imposed tough sanctions to try to end decades of military
rule.
International pressure has been building on the junta to throw its
doors wide open to an international relief operation for the worst
cyclone to hit Asia since 1991, when 143,000 people were killed in
neighbouring Bangladesh.
Aid has barely trickled into one of the world's most isolated and
impoverished countries, although experts feared it would be too
little to cope with the aftermath of Nargis, which left up to
100,000 feared dead and one million homeless.
Witnesses saw little evidence of a relief effort under way in the
hard-hit Irrawaddy delta region.
"We'll starve to death, if nothing is sent to us," said Zaw Win, a
32-year-old fisherman who waded through floating corpses to find a
boat for the two-hour journey to Bogalay, a town where the
government said 10,000 people were killed.
"We need food, water, clothes and shelter," he told a Reuters
reporter. "We'll starve to death if nothing is sent to us."
Aid flights delayed
The storm pulverised the delta on Saturday with 190 km winds
followed by a massive tidal wave that caused most of the casualties
and damage, virtually destroying some villages.
UN officials had earlier complained that an airlift of emergency
supplies for the victims was delayed on Thursday, awaiting
clearance to land from the military government.
"They need assistance today. They needed it yesterday," Tony
Banbury, Asia regional director of the UN World Food Programme WFP,
said in Bangkok.
"They can't wait and they shouldn't be asked to wait until tomorrow
and it's crucial that food, water, shelter and medical supplies
need to go in right away."
Another WFP official said three planes were waiting on tarmacs in
Bangkok, Dhaka and Dubai with 38 tonnes of supplies.
Myanmar's generals had issued an appeal for international
assistance, but have been dragging their feet over issuing visas to
foreign aid workers.
WFP spokesman Paul Risley said aid agencies normally expect to fly
in experts and supplies within 48 hours of a disaster, but nearly a
week after the Myanmar cyclone, few international groups have been
able to send reinforcements into Myanmar.
State media are reporting a death toll of 22,980 with 42,119
missing, although diplomats and disaster experts said the real
figure from the massive storm surge that swept into the Irrawaddy
delta is likely to be much higher.
"The information that we're receiving indicates that there may well
be over 100,000 deaths in the delta area," Shari Villarosa, charge
d'affaires of the US embassy in Myanmar, said in a teleconference
with reporters in Washington.
Those wishing to make a contribution to the cyclone relief effort can do so through various aid agencies. For details CLICK HERE
