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UN chief to send envoy to Burma UN chief to send envoy to Burma
(about 2 hours later)
United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon says he plans to send a senior official to urge Burma's military leaders to open up to foreign aid.United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon says he plans to send a senior official to urge Burma's military leaders to open up to foreign aid.
Mr Ban said he wanted UN aid chief John Holmes to accompany a food aid delivery to the cyclone-hit nation.Mr Ban said he wanted UN aid chief John Holmes to accompany a food aid delivery to the cyclone-hit nation.
He also proposed a conference of nations prepared to pledge assistance.He also proposed a conference of nations prepared to pledge assistance.
UN figures now suggest that as many as 2.5 million people have been severely affected by Cyclone Nargis, which struck Burma 12 days ago.UN figures now suggest that as many as 2.5 million people have been severely affected by Cyclone Nargis, which struck Burma 12 days ago.
Latest Burmese official figures put the number of dead at almost 38,500, with 27,838 more missing, but the Red Cross warned as many as 128,000 could be dead. The latest Burmese official figures put the number of dead at almost 38,500, with 27,838 more missing, but the Red Cross warned as many as 128,000 could be dead.
A slow trickle of aid is now getting to survivors but aid agencies say it is not nearly enough. A slow trickle of aid is now getting to survivors but aid agencies say it is nowhere near enough.
They say far more people, boats and trucks are needed to get the supplies to the communities that need them most. They say far more boats and trucks are needed to get the supplies to the communities that need them most - and far more expert personnel.
Mr Ban said he "regretted" the UN had spent more time arranging rather than delivering help, amid claims of stonewalling by the junta. 'Resistance mindset'
The UN chief convened talks with donors and the Association of South-East Asian Nations in New York on Wednesday.
Mr Ban said he "regretted" the UN had spent more time arranging rather than delivering help.
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Undercover reporter says aid is still in short supply in BurmaUndercover reporter says aid is still in short supply in Burma
Under pressure from Britain to call an emergency summit, the UN chief convened talks with donors and the Association of South-East Asian Nations in New York on Wednesday.
"Even though the [Burmese] government has shown some sense of flexibility, at this time it's far, far too short," he said."Even though the [Burmese] government has shown some sense of flexibility, at this time it's far, far too short," he said.
Thai leader Samak Sundaravej flew to Rangoon for talks with Burmese Prime Minister Thein Sein, but said the junta was adamant it needed no outside help. Foreign experts are still being denied access to the worst-hit Irrawaddy Delta region.
Mr Holmes, the UN's head of humanitarian assistance, said that although more than 100 international UN aid workers were now in Burma, they were not being allowed beyond Rangoon.
In an apparent concession, the Burmese authorities have invited in 160 aid workers from neighbouring Bangladesh, China, India and Thailand.
But it is not clear whether they will be permitted to enter the worst-affected regions - and experts say they are a fraction of the number needed.
EXTENT OF THE DEVASTATION See map and satellite imagesResilience amid Burma catastropheUrgent EU missionEXTENT OF THE DEVASTATION See map and satellite imagesResilience amid Burma catastropheUrgent EU mission
"He insisted that his country [could] tackle the problem by themselves," Mr Samak said in Bangkok after his day trip to Burma. On Wednesday Thai leader Samak Sundaravej flew to Rangoon for talks with Burmese Prime Minister Thein Sein, but said the junta was adamant it needed no outside help.
Fresh storm fears eased on Wednesday as forecasters said a tropical depression off Burma's coast had weakened and was unlikely to brew into a cyclone. "They insisted they can take care of their people and their country. They can manage by themselves," he said.
The Joint Typhoon Warning Center in Hawaii downgraded the cyclone risk to "poor". In Washington, Asean Secretary-General Surin Pitsuwan said his organisation was trying to build a "coalition of mercy" to help fellow member Burma.
Meanwhile, the UN accused the generals of beefing up security on checkpoints to keep out foreigners. "We are trying to work around a very, very stiff resistance mentality and mindset that have been there for a long, long time," he told a forum.
Mr Holmes, the UN's head of humanitarian assistance, said that although more than 100 international UN aid workers were now in Burma, they were not being allowed into the worst affected area, the Irrawaddy Delta, to distribute aid. Schools hit
Aid agencies have warned repeatedly that failure to help those without food, water and shelter could lead to a second - perhaps larger - wave of deaths.
The UN's food agency fears Burma will face food shortagesThe UN's food agency fears Burma will face food shortages
EU envoy Louis Michel is heading for Burma for a three-day visit, but he said his chances of making any headway with the junta were "slight". A BBC correspondent in Burma said one devastated village - with one in four of its 400 homes left standing - had received just one bag of rice from the government.
Residents have told the BBC's Burmese service how private citizens have been trying to distribute water and supplies from their own cars - but soldiers have been confiscating the goods. Causeways running above the flooded paddy fields of the south were lined by families - often in makeshift shelters - huddling in the rain, our reporter said.
A BBC correspondent said one devastated village - with one in four of its 400 homes left standing - had received just one bag of rice from the government. There are also more long-term considerations. About 85% of schools in the region have been severely damaged or destroyed, Unicef said, and unknown numbers of teachers had been killed or missing.

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Help is needed to build temporary schools so that some semblance of normality can be returned to children's lives, the agency said.
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. But fears of a second storm eased as forecasters said a tropical depression off Burma's coast had weakened and was unlikely to brew into a cyclone.
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