More than a million people were left homeless and many more in need of humanitarian assistance, with the deadly cyclone devastating large areas of Myanmar and killing at least 22,000, the United Nations said on Thursday. Another 41,000 are still missing.
The Irrawaddy delta, which was directly hit by Cyclone Nargis on Friday, remains cut off and it could be days, or even weeks, before aid reached the victims, UN said.
UN officials said that an assessment team would reach Myanmar and the aid, which is already trickling in the country, is expected to pick up pace over the next few days.
The United Nations was still trying to get visas for its staff. In addition, the world body is also trying to send nationals of the countries who do not require visas but need only clearance.
Officials expressed concern over the delay in issuance of visas but were cautious not to criticise the Myanmar's military government for the fear of making things difficult.
More than US$ 30 million have already been pledged by about 30 countries and the UN is expected to issue a flash appeal on Friday after assessing the situation.
One of the contentious points appears to be the government's insistence that it would distribute all aid.
In a statement, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon urged the Myanmar government to respond to the outpouring of international support and solidarity, by facilitating the arrival of aid workers and the clearance for the relief supplies.
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