Saturday Dawn
 |  |
| The US has ships with aid standing by in the Gulf of Thailand |
Listen to AudioBurma warned over cyclone delays
The United Nations Secretary-General, Ban Ki-moon, has warned that hundreds of thousands of Burmese lives could be at risk, unless the military government removes all restrictions on foreign aid following Cyclone Nargis a week ago.
The UN has appealed for almost two hundred million dollars in aid from member countries.
The Burmese ambassador to the UN (Kyaw Tint Swe ) said his country would accept help from any quarter.
His government has said it is not ready to allow in foreign search and rescue teams but the UN's head of humanitarian affairs, John Holmes, said he believed Burma could become more flexible after the constitutional referendum this weekend.
Burma: diseases start to take hold
|  |
| Thousands of people in the area have received no aid |
Two BBC correspondents who've travelled to the Irrawaddy delta, the area worst-hit by the cyclone, say tens of thousands of bodies are strewn across the landscape, with houses toppled and trees uprooted.
They say diseases like dysentery are already starting to take hold, and although some aid has arrived there is still no relief effort to match the size of the catastrophe.
Burmese referendum underway despite cyclone
|  |
| Burmese referendum underway despite cyclone |
A constitutional referendum is underway in Burma, despite appeals from the United Nations for a postponement because of the devastation caused by Cyclone Nargis a week ago.
Voting is taking place in most of the country although the poll has been delayed for two weeks in the worst-affected areas (including the main city, Rangoon.
Also in the news:
- Early morning preparations for referendum across the country.
- Prayer vigils, donations around the World for Cyclone victims of Burma.
No comments:
Post a Comment