Burma accepts US aid for cyclone victims

08/05/2008 20:18:40

A few aid shipments have arrived in Burma's main city, but the plane loads of supplies and heavy equipment needed to help millions of cyclone victims remain largely stranded outside the country.

In a dramatic development, the ruling junta has agreed to accept US emergency aid after last weekend's cyclone, allowing at least one military plane to deliver supplies to Rangoon.

Our correspondent in Bangkok, Peter Lloyd, says it is a small breakthrough after days of pressure on the regime.

The US Embassy spokesman in Bangkok says a C-130 will airlift at least one aid shipment, but the details are still being worked out.

The regime has been refusing to open up for most international relief operations despite the scale of death and destruction caused by the weekend cyclone.

The latest estimate suggests more than 100,000 people may have died.

The Burmese military says it believes 80,000 people died in one district in the Irrawaddy delta, which bore the brunt of the storm.

More than 1.5 million people are homeless.

Aid push
The United States has urged Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, Japan, India and China to use any influence they have with Burma to allow relief teams in.

Discussions have been held at the United Nations in New York on how to encourage Burma to accept more outside help.

France says it may seek a UN Security Council resolution forcing Burma to admit foreign aid workers and emergency supplies.

Some foreign aid has reached the country from Thailand and China, and a UN World Food Program plane is on its way from Italy.

UN Emergency Relief under-secretary-general John Holmes, says the process must be speeded up.

"We have been discussing that intensively with the government in Myanmar (Burma) both here and in Yangoon (Rangoon), (and) I think we are making some progress," he said.

"Members of the initial assessment team which we had assembled in Bangkok will be flying into Myanmar (Burma)tomorrow."

Mr Holmes says the Rangoon is cooperating, albeit slowly.

"They might have refused all international assistance, they might have refused a dialogue with us, they might have said in a blanket way no international aid workers will be allowed in. They've not said that," he said.

"We've made some progress, we need to go a lot further and a lot faster."

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