Asia-Pacific News
Aid "reaches 220,000 Myanmar survivors", but many still wait (Extra)
By DPA
May 9, 2008, 16:32 GMT

Geneva - The International Federation of the Red Cross (IFRC) said Friday humanitarian aid had reached around 220,000 people, despite logistical difficulties.

With the UN estimating more than a million in need of urgent humanitarian assistance, that meant hundreds thousands more were still waiting for help following Cyclone Nargis.

Michael Annear, the IFRC's regional disaster response coordinator in Myanmar, said Red Cross workers and volunteers were responsible for around two thirds of those reached.

The operation was going well, but he admitted: 'There are problems getting aid down there (to the south). There are constraints as we know, but we are working to overcome them.'

He was speaking after the Myanmar authorities seized 38 tons of relief goods brought in by plane by the UN World Food Programme.

Two IFRC plane-loads had arrived and the goods had been loaded onto lorries for distribution Saturday.

Annear said: 'We are just monitoring the situation and seeing what happens in the future and working around that.'

He said there were logistical problems due to the lack of infrastructure and there needed to be a combined approach looking at road, ship and air distribution.

While the UN reported problems acquiring visas for its relief teams, the Red Cross said seven of its people so far had been granted entry and they expected more to enter the country in the coming days.