This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . It will not be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/7387331.stm
The article has changed 16 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
Version 13 | Version 14 |
---|---|
Aid arriving in cyclone-hit Burma | Aid arriving in cyclone-hit Burma |
(about 2 hours later) | |
Foreign aid is beginning to arrive in Burma, devastated by a cyclone that has left more than 22,000 people dead. | Foreign aid is beginning to arrive in Burma, devastated by a cyclone that has left more than 22,000 people dead. |
In the worst-affected area, the vast Irrawaddy delta in the south-west, witnesses speak of survivors walking for days past dead bodies to find help. | |
The head of the US embassy in Burma has warned that without speedy action the death toll there could top 100,000. | |
Amid accusations of foot-dragging, the UN has urged Burma's junta to give fast access to aid staff and supplies. | |
Survivors of Saturday's cyclone are hungry, thirsty and vulnerable to disease - but given the huge area affected, and blocked roads, the challenge for aid workers is enormous, say reports. | |
Advertisement | Advertisement |
Footage of the aid operation in Burma from state-run TV | Footage of the aid operation in Burma from state-run TV |
The last Burmese death toll, on Tuesday, said 22,464 people had now been confirmed dead and another 41,054 people were missing as a result of high winds and the tidal surge. | |
Disease risk | |
What remains is for the Burmese government to allow the international community to help its people. It is not a matter of politics US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice Keeping a lid on chaos | |
| |
Up to a million people are thought to have been left homeless in the crisis, which has left thousands of square kilometres of the Irrawaddy delta under water. | Up to a million people are thought to have been left homeless in the crisis, which has left thousands of square kilometres of the Irrawaddy delta under water. |
Shari Villarosa, the charge d'affaires of the US embassy in Burma - also known as Myanmar - said food and water were running short in the delta area and called the situation there "increasingly horrendous." | |
"There is a very real risk of disease outbreaks as long as this continues," Ms Villarosa said, according to Associated Press. | |
The death toll could reach or exceed 100,000 as humanitarian conditions worsen, she said - based on information from a non-governmental organisation that she would not name. | |
Before and after: extent of flooding clear in Nasa satellite imagesEnlarge Image | |
Accounts from the Irrawaddy delta have spoken of fistfights breaking out between survivors desperate to seize dwindling supplies of food and water. | |
Some are breaking open coconuts for the water inside, while others are driven to eating dead fish. | |
Poor sanitation, rotting bodies in the water, and flooding could all bring disease, aid agencies warn. | |
They highlight the risk of mosquito-borne malaria and dengue fever, along with water-borne diseases such as cholera and dysentery. | |
Calls for access | |
The Burmese authorities have attracted criticism over claims they are refusing to provide visas to waiting foreign aid workers and have spurned some offers of help, such as a US offer to deploy three naval ships and two planes in the region. | |
The US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice is the latest to voice such criticism, telling reporters: | |
"What remains is for the Burmese government to allow the international community to help its people. It should be a simple matter. It is not a matter of politics." | |
Earlier, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon urged authorities in Burma to assist the entry of foreign aid workers and supplies into the country "in every way possible" - strong diplomatic language, says the BBC's correspondent at the UN, Laura Trevelyan. | |
Speaking to reporters, the UN's humanitarian chief John Holmes accepted that aid agencies had faced difficulties accessing the disaster zone. | |
Aid arrives | |
But, he said, co-operation from the Burmese authorities was "reasonable and heading in the right direction". | |
EXTENT OF THE DEVASTATION UN map showing worst-hit areas, based on satellite imagery [1.13MB] Most computers will open PDFs automatically, but you may need Adobe Reader Download the reader here See how satellites tracked cycloneSend us your comments | EXTENT OF THE DEVASTATION UN map showing worst-hit areas, based on satellite imagery [1.13MB] Most computers will open PDFs automatically, but you may need Adobe Reader Download the reader here See how satellites tracked cycloneSend us your comments |
He dismissed a suggestion by the French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner that the UN Security Council should adopt a resolution allowing aid to be flown into the country by force as unnecessarily confrontational. | |
Mr Holmes said 24 countries had pledged assistance so far worth $30m (£15m), and a flash appeal would be launched on Friday once an initial assessment of need was complete. | |
An assessment team was due in Burma on Thursday. | |
A stream of aid is now in, or on its way, to Burma: | |
| |
Are you in Burma, or do you have friends and family there? Have you - or they - been affected by the cyclone? Send your comments and pictures using the post form below. | Are you in Burma, or do you have friends and family there? Have you - or they - been affected by the cyclone? Send your comments and pictures using the post form below. |
You can also send your comments via text to +44 7624 800 100: | You can also send your comments via text to +44 7624 800 100: |
Send your pictures to yourpics@bbc.co.uk, text them to +44 7725 100 100 or you have a large file you can upload here. Read the terms and conditions | Send your pictures to yourpics@bbc.co.uk, text them to +44 7725 100 100 or you have a large file you can upload here. Read the terms and conditions |
At no time should you endanger yourself or others, take any unnecessary risks or infringe any laws. | At no time should you endanger yourself or others, take any unnecessary risks or infringe any laws. |