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Minister to discuss cyclone aid Burma warned to uphold aid pledge
(about 13 hours later)
International Development Secretary Douglas Alexander will take part in talks in Burma to discuss the country's aid crisis following Cyclone Nargis. International Development Secretary Douglas Alexander has urged Burma's rulers to uphold a pledge to give "full and unfettered" access to aid workers.
The conference in Rangoon involves the United Nations and the Association of South East Asian Nations (Asean). Speaking at a conference in Rangoon to discuss Burma's humanitarian crisis he told the junta: "You will be judged not by your words but by your actions."
UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has said Burma's leaders have promised to allow all aid workers into the country, but there has been little movement. The military leaders have promised to allow all aid workers into the country, but there has been little movement.
Some 78,000 people were killed and 2.5 million affected by the 2 May cyclone.Some 78,000 people were killed and 2.5 million affected by the 2 May cyclone.
Mr Alexander has already met Mr Ban ahead of the conference. The conference on Sunday involves the United Nations and the Association of South East Asian Nations (Asean).
Kick-start efforts We need to accelerate the efforts of the UN and Asean to get aid to those that need it - that means planes and helicopters in the air, trucks on the roads and boats on the rivers Douglas Alexander
The minister said: "The real and most immediate focus of the meeting in Rangoon must be turning the words of the Burmese regime into action by the Burmese regime, in order to scale up the relief operation to all the affected areas. Over the weekend, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon said senior Burmese General Than Shwe had agreed to allow all aid workers into the stricken country "regardless of nationality".
"To that end, we welcome and support the recently agreed joint UN-Asean mechanism. Speaking at the conference Mr Ban said: "I hope this marks a turning point in tackling the challenges facing this country."
"It will be vital that UN and Asean efforts are kick-started to deliver." But the relief effort could last for six months, he warned.
He said the UK's Department for International Development would be sending 11 flights with materials for families left homeless by the natural disaster. Mr Alexander told the conference: "We need to accelerate the efforts of the UN and Asean to get aid to those that need it - that means planes and helicopters in the air, trucks on the roads and boats on the rivers.
"This will help provide additional shelter for up to 250,000 people in the Irrawaddy Delta and around Rangoon," he said. "I have therefore urged John Holmes - the UN Emergency Relief Co-ordinator - to use his briefing to the UN Security Council on Tuesday to update on both the desperate conditions that prevail in the Irrawaddy Delta and the promises that have been made by the Myanmar authorities.
Forty-four countries have signed up for the conference, although Mr Alexander is one of only 15 ministers attending. "I have travelled here to Rangoon at the request of the United Nations Secretary General to press the regime to allow full and unfettered access for international aid workers.
Some 2.5 million people have been affected by the cyclone
"I have told the Burmese ministers that I have met: 'You will be judged not by your words but by your actions'.
"And action is what the world will be looking for in the days and weeks ahead."
The Department for International Development (DFID) is to send 11 flights to the region carrying much-needed materials for families that lost their homes in the disaster.
Oxfam International Director Penny Lawrence said the situation in parts of the country was still "desperate".
But the decision to allow aid workers into the country, even at this late stage, would still be of great help, she said.
She explained: "It is late, but it is not too late because there is still so much we could do."
The UN estimates that only a quarter of the 2.5 million Burmese affected by the cyclone have received the help they need.