Aid begins to trickle into Burma

11/05/2008 11:58:30

Aid is beginning to flow into Burma with three transport planes allowed to land on Saturday and several trucks crossing the road bridge from Thailand.

The United Nations says however that less than a quarter of the estimated one and a half million survivors are receiving help.

Peter Cave reports.

"The UN's World Food Program says three planes which arrived on Saturday carrying food, shelter and communications and office equipment have been unloaded and released for distribution by Burmese authorities. It is hoped that two other loads which arrived on Friday would soon be released by customs. Several lorries from the United Nations Refugee agency carrying tents were allowed to cross a bridge from Thailand yesterday after two days delay. The International Red Cross says it's hoped another seven flights will reach Burma today but it and other agencies have expressed concern that the Burmese government does not have the infrastructure to distribute the supplies and they say that more foreign aid and disaster experts are needed along with boats helicopters and trucks capable of reaching the worst hit areas."

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