Burma Disaster

Latest reports suggest that the tropical cyclone in burma has killed an estimated 50.000 people and left over 2 million people homeless. According to state broadcasting thousand of building have also been destroyed in the tradegy.

Areas such as the Irrawaddy region have been hit the worsts - three out of four buildings have been destroyed in the area.

Burma has declared these and four localities including Rangoon (which has had not water or power) disaster areas

The cyclone hits areas burma, mainly Rangoon, Irrawaddy, Bago, Karen and Mon with winds of up to 120mph. The Haing-gyi island, off the south-west coast has also been hit by the cyclone causing massive damage. The cyclone hits areas burma, mainly Rangoon, Irrawaddy, Bago, Karen and Mon with winds of up to 120mph. The Haing-gyi island, off the south-west coast has also been hit by the cyclone causing massive damage.

The impoversished nation that is ruled by a military junta for the last twenty years has issued an urgent appeal for help worldwide.

Aid agencies are struggling to assess the extent of the damage caused by the cyclone that devestaded the country at the weekend are now in the process of sending urgent supplies of food, water and medicine. "We have been given a list of things that are needed, mostly food, shelter material, water purificationt, tarpaulins and things like that," said Carsten Voelz the operations manager for the charity Care. "Given the scale of what has happened, we would certainly have to increase our personnel that are in the country."

One of the main problems faced by international humanitarian organisations is that communications and power have failed. Even in Rangoon the country's largest city. The disaster in burma has virtually flattened some of the smaller regions and towns, especially those close Irrawaddy delta.

The U.Ns humanitarian chief says he is frustrated with the government in Burma because it's not moved quicker to allow in international aid workers and supplies to the cyclone hit country. From United Nations central office in New York, VOA's Margaret Besheer has more. John Holmes told reporters Thursday that the humanitarian state of affairs in Burma is getting "increasingly desperate", and that an even worse catastrophe could unfold if aid agencies can't get urgently required aid in. He said he is frustrated the Burmese government are not helping foreign aid workers to move supplies in quickly.

"The frustrations have been growing that this humanitarian reaction is being held back because of difficulties of access"