The FINANCIAL — More than 27,000 people in Myanmar affected by the Nargis tropical cyclone, which hit the Southeast Asian country, have received UN humanitarian aid, the UN's press service said.
Cyclone Nargis, the worst natural disaster to hit the region since the 2004 tsunami, battered Myanmar on May 3 devastating large parts of the country and leaving 28,458 dead while a further 33,416 are missing, according to Myanmese official figures.
The UN, however, said up to 2 million people have been 'severely' affected and John Holmes, under-secretary for humanitarian affairs and emergency relief, said: "the extent of the humanitarian catastrophe is enormous," putting the death toll at "between 63,000 and 100,000, or possibly even higher."
A total of 28 tons of high-energy biscuits, which arrived in the country's largest city and former capital Yangon on Friday, was collected and distributed by the United Nations World Food Program (WFP) to the Irrawaddy delta region on May 12.
A land convoy of emergency supplies for 10,000 people, including tents and plastic sheeting, badly needed by the estimated 1 million homeless, was sent by the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) into Myanmar on May 11.
The situation in the disaster-stricken country is extremely dangerous and the risk of epidemic is critical due to a lack of clean drinking water and unsanitary conditions caused by rotting carcasses and corpses in towns and villages.
British aid group, Oxfam, has warned that the death toll could hit 1.5 million if people did not get access to get clean water and sanitation.
Myanmar's junta has attracted international criticism for its slow response to the disaster and refusal to let foreign experts into the country.
The European Union is due to hold emergency talks on Tuesday to review the humanitarian crisis in Myanmar and "beef up the response of the EU member states and the European Commission to this emergency situation," the EU humanitarian aid commissioner, Louis Michel, said.
Russia has sent a total of 60 metric tons of humanitarian aid to Myanmar in two deliveries. The supplies include tents, blankets, generators, medical supplies, disinfectants and food.
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