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First Major Aid Finally Reaches Cyclone Survivors

Posted May 8, 08 5:33 AM CDT in World 

(Newser) – A single United Nations plane laden with relief supplies has finally landed in Burma's Irrawaddy Delta region—six days after a pulverizing cyclone killed an estimated 100,000 people, AP is reporting. Three other UN planes are expected to land later today, but flights operated jointly by the US and Thailand remain grounded as officials continue to negotiate with Burma's reluctant military leaders to allow foreign aid into the stricken region, Reuters reports.

"They need assistance today. They needed it yesterday," said one UN official. "They can't wait. It's crucial that food, water, shelter and medical supplies need to go in right away." Relief experts usually aim for major supplies to reach a struggling population within 48 hours.

Sources: Associated Press, Reuters, Reuters

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Airport staff load crates of United Nations aid including medicine, tents and food bound for Myanmar onto a cargo aircraft.   (AP Photo/Kamran Jebreili)
International aid began trickling into military-ruled Myanmar, but much of the Irrawaddy delta, where most of the 22,464 reported victims perished, has remained cut off since Cyclone Nargis hit Saturday....   (AP Photo)
An aerial shot shows flooded rice fields on the outskirts of Yangon, Myanmar. A U.N. official declared Myanmar's cyclone-stricken Irrawaddy delta a "major, major disaster"   (AP Photo)
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United Nations • Condoleezza Rice • Myanmar • cyclone • humanitarian aid • Irrawaddy Delta • World Food Program


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