Downed telegraph poles and trees, flooded streets, broken buildings and general infrastructure are some of the lesser problems urban dwelling people in Myanmar are negotiating in the aftermath of Cyclone Nargis. Outside of the capital, desperate survivors cried out for aid nearly a week after the cyclone killed up to 100,000 people, as pressure piled up on Myanmar to throw its doors open to an international relief operation. The United States was still awaiting approval from Myanmar's junta to start military aid flights, but the U.N. food agency and Red Cross/Red Crescent said they have started flying in emergency relief after some delays. U.S. ambassador Eric John told a news conference in Bangkok that the United States and Thailand had thought the Myanmar generals had agreed to let a U.S military cargo plane fly in supplies. But that turned out to be premature. "We don't have permission yet for the C-130 to go in, but I emphasise 'yet'," John said. Approval for such a flight would be surprising given the huge distrust and acrimony between former Burma's generals and Washington, which has imposed tough sanctions to try to end decades of military rule. Aid has barely trickled into one of the world's most isolated and impoverished countries, although experts feared it would be too little to cope with the aftermath of Nargis, which left up to 100,000 feared dead and one million homeless. Witnesses saw little evidence of a relief effort under way in the hard-hit Irrawaddy delta region. The storm pulverised the delta on Saturday (May 3) with 190 km (120 mph) winds followed by a massive tidal wave that caused most of the casualties and damage, virtually destroying some villages. It was the worst cyclone in Asia since 1991, when 143,000 people were killed in neighbouring Bangladesh. U.N. officials, who had earlier complained that an airlift of emergency supplies for the victims was being delayed, said several cargo planes had now landed at Yangon's airport. WFP spokesman Paul Risley in Bangkok said a Thai cargo plane delivered seven tons of high-energy biscuits and a U.N. chartered flight from Brindisi, Italy arrived in Yangon with water, plastic sheeting, medical kits and other equipment. He said one other charter flight in Bangkok was awaiting landing clearance permission and a fourth flight was expected to leave from Dubai on Thursday. The Red Cross/Red Crescent confirmed its first aid plane took off from Kuala Lumpur, carrying six tonnes of shelter materials. Medicins sans Frontieres, which has 1,000 people in Myanmar, said it was ferrying aid supplies into the delta via trucks and boats. It said it had been granted permission to fly in supplies. Jean-Michel Grand, executive director of Action contra la Faim in London said the logistical obstacles were formidable. The WFP's Risley said aid agencies normally expect to fly in experts and supplies within 48 hours of a disaster, but nearly a week after this cyclone, few international groups have been able to send reinforcements into Myanmar. Thai Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej failed to reach Myanmar's ruling generals on Thursday after U.S. President George W. Bush asked him to intervene with the junta to expedite the international aid effort. State media had reported a death toll of 22,980 with 42,119 missing as of Tuesday, but diplomats and disaster experts said the real figure is likely to be much higher. Asean secretary general Surin Pitsuwan told reporters that the bloc was pushing for access to Myanmar to help aid effort.
