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| Burma death toll jumps to 78,000 | Burma death toll jumps to 78,000 |
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| The official death toll for Burma's cyclone disaster has jumped to almost 78,000 people, with nearly 56,000 missing, according to state TV. | The official death toll for Burma's cyclone disaster has jumped to almost 78,000 people, with nearly 56,000 missing, according to state TV. |
| Previously, Burma was giving a toll of 43,000 dead and 28,000 missing while the Red Cross and United Nations had estimated a death toll above 100,000. | Previously, Burma was giving a toll of 43,000 dead and 28,000 missing while the Red Cross and United Nations had estimated a death toll above 100,000. |
| Aid agencies are frustrated at the slow progress of aid to areas worst hit. | Aid agencies are frustrated at the slow progress of aid to areas worst hit. |
| Cyclone Nargis battered southern regions of Burma, including the Irrawaddy Delta, on 2-3 May. | Cyclone Nargis battered southern regions of Burma, including the Irrawaddy Delta, on 2-3 May. |
| A BBC reporter in the delta this week saw little sign of official help and foreign aid workers have been barred from the area. | A BBC reporter in the delta this week saw little sign of official help and foreign aid workers have been barred from the area. |
| Heavy rain has been lashing the region, compounding the misery of survivors. | Heavy rain has been lashing the region, compounding the misery of survivors. |
| The UN Humanitarian Co-ordinator, John Holmes, is due to visit Rangoon, Burma's main city, on Sunday in a bid to persuade the military government to grant more access to UN relief workers and expand its aid effort. | The UN Humanitarian Co-ordinator, John Holmes, is due to visit Rangoon, Burma's main city, on Sunday in a bid to persuade the military government to grant more access to UN relief workers and expand its aid effort. |
| Earlier, the EU's top aid official, Louis Michel, was denied permission to visit the delta region. He said he was given no explanation why disaster emergency experts were being refused visas. | Earlier, the EU's top aid official, Louis Michel, was denied permission to visit the delta region. He said he was given no explanation why disaster emergency experts were being refused visas. |
| However, Burma - also known as Myanmar - has promised to take foreign diplomats on a tour of the region this weekend. | However, Burma - also known as Myanmar - has promised to take foreign diplomats on a tour of the region this weekend. |
| UN mission | |
| The Burmese blamed the sudden increase in the death toll on difficulties they have had confirming what has happened to people in the worst-affected areas. | The Burmese blamed the sudden increase in the death toll on difficulties they have had confirming what has happened to people in the worst-affected areas. |
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| People wait for help in the worst-hit Irrawaddy Delta | People wait for help in the worst-hit Irrawaddy Delta |
| The difficulty in getting accurate figures is inevitable bearing in mind the scarce resources there are on the ground to assess the needs of those affected by this disaster, the BBC's Chris Hogg reports from Bangkok. | The difficulty in getting accurate figures is inevitable bearing in mind the scarce resources there are on the ground to assess the needs of those affected by this disaster, the BBC's Chris Hogg reports from Bangkok. |
| The lack of solid information makes the task of planning how to help them even harder, he adds. | The lack of solid information makes the task of planning how to help them even harder, he adds. |
| It is not clear how much access the foreign diplomats will have to areas outside the official tour route. | It is not clear how much access the foreign diplomats will have to areas outside the official tour route. |
| The BBC's Natalia Antelava reports that the muddy banks of the Irrawaddy Delta are lined with white, swollen bodies and the air reeks of rotting flesh. | The BBC's Natalia Antelava reports that the muddy banks of the Irrawaddy Delta are lined with white, swollen bodies and the air reeks of rotting flesh. |
| Bereaved survivors there lack fresh water and have barely enough rice to get by, our correspondent says. | Bereaved survivors there lack fresh water and have barely enough rice to get by, our correspondent says. |
| Many relief workers are awaiting visas and most of those who have been allowed into the country remain confined to Rangoon. | Many relief workers are awaiting visas and most of those who have been allowed into the country remain confined to Rangoon. |
| Mr Michel, who was leaving Burma on Friday, said he had been taken only to "a rather perfect, organised camp" near Rangoon. | Mr Michel, who was leaving Burma on Friday, said he had been taken only to "a rather perfect, organised camp" near Rangoon. |
| The UN's John Holmes had his visa for Burma approved on Thursday night. | The UN's John Holmes had his visa for Burma approved on Thursday night. |
| EXTENT OF THE DEVASTATION See map and satellite imagesSend us your comments | EXTENT OF THE DEVASTATION See map and satellite imagesSend us your comments |
| At this stage it is not clear who he will be able to talk too given that Burma's leader, Thein Sein, has refused even to pick up the phone to talk to Mr Holmes's boss, the UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon, our correspondent notes. | |
| Meanwhile, staff from the international aid agencies are relying on hundreds of locally hired staff, many of whom are very experienced, to do what they can with the limited amounts of aid that have got into the country. | |
| In the last few days, Burma has agreed to allow a few experts from neighbouring countries in to help, our correspondent notes. | |
| It may not be as many as the international community thinks are needed, he says, but UN officials believe this is an opportunity to show the military government that aid-workers' motives are humanitarian, not political. | |
| Water alert | |
| According to the Red Cross, aid agencies have been able to reach only around 20% to 30% of cyclone victims and hundreds of thousands of people are at risk of diseases such as dysentery because of lack of clean water. | According to the Red Cross, aid agencies have been able to reach only around 20% to 30% of cyclone victims and hundreds of thousands of people are at risk of diseases such as dysentery because of lack of clean water. |
| "If clean water isn't available, it's going to be the biggest killer in the post-disaster environment," Thomas Gurtner told The Associated Press. | "If clean water isn't available, it's going to be the biggest killer in the post-disaster environment," Thomas Gurtner told The Associated Press. |
| "Food is urgent but you die in three days from acute diarrhoea. You die of starvation in a period of weeks. | "Food is urgent but you die in three days from acute diarrhoea. You die of starvation in a period of weeks. |
| "The immediate life-savers are water and shelter." | "The immediate life-savers are water and shelter." |
| The Association of South East Asian Nations is due to hold a high-level meeting in the coming days that is expected to lay the framework for a broader aid donors conference. | The Association of South East Asian Nations is due to hold a high-level meeting in the coming days that is expected to lay the framework for a broader aid donors conference. |
| Burma's military leadership has warned that those who hoard or sell aid on the black market will be prosecuted, amid international reports of misuse of some aid shipments. | Burma's military leadership has warned that those who hoard or sell aid on the black market will be prosecuted, amid international reports of misuse of some aid shipments. |
| The generals have also lauded what they said was a 92% approval of a new constitution in a referendum held last Saturday. | The generals have also lauded what they said was a 92% approval of a new constitution in a referendum held last Saturday. |
| Are you in Burma or have friends and family there? Or Are you an aid worker involved in the relief work? Tell us about your experience using the form below: | Are you in Burma or have friends and family there? Or Are you an aid worker involved in the relief work? Tell us about your experience using the form below: |