Nasdaq Mon May 5
LONDON (AFP)--The U.K. on Monday urged Myanmar's ruling military junta to open up to international assistance to help the victims of the deadly cyclone Nargis.
Myanmar said Monday that nearly 4,000 people had been killed in the cyclone that tore into the impoverished and secretive Asian nation at the weekend, and that tens of thousands more could also be dead.
Foreign Office Minister Meg Munn called the loss of life "terrible" in the U.K.'s former colony.
"We are deeply concerned by the situation in Burma (Myanmar) in the wake of cyclone Nargis, and saddened by the terrible loss of life," Munn said in a statement.
"The priority must be to mobilize aid to all those affected to avoid further suffering. We call on the Burmese regime to provide rapid support to its people and to accept international assistance."
A Foreign Office spokesman told AFP: "There's no request from Burma for the moment for international help."
He added: "The U.K. is the largest bilateral donor, with a contribution of four million pounds a year, to the United Nations' Central Emergency Response Fund which is designed to help meet the needs of situations like this.
"A couple of hundreds British citizens are residents in Burma for the moment - fewer than 500 - but there are about 7,500 tourists per year based on last year's figures.
"None have requested assistance that we know of at the moment," he said.
Nargis struck Myanmar late Friday around the mouth of the Ayeyawaddy ( Irrawaddy) river, about 220 kilometers (140 miles) southwest of Yangon, before hitting the country's biggest city and economic hub.
An announcement on Myanmar state television said more than 2,100 people were missing and that tens of thousands more could have perished in other regions - areas where rescue workers hadn't yet been able to gauge the full scope of the destruction.
British relief agencies were beginning to assess the damage.
Save the Children spokeswoman Shaista Aziz said: "Communications lines are very badly affected so it's making it hard for us to assess the extent of the damage. We are very concerned about the rural areas along the Irrawaddy delta because it's densely populated.
"We do know the low-lying flood plains around the Irrawaddy delta have been badly hit.
"In Yangon many homes have lost their roofs and displaced people are taking shelter in schools, mosques and churches. Many roads have been blocked by flooding and trees.
"Our first priority is to gather adequate information to understand what is needed, to allow us to coordinate relief efforts with colleagues in Thailand and London."
A spokesman for relief and development agency Oxfam told AFP: "Oxfam International supports partner organizations in Myanmar and will be working in conjunction with the U.N. and other agencies to respond to immediate need."
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