Red Cross launches $6m appeal

2008-05-07 16:23

Geneva - The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies launched an emergency appeal on Wednesday for almost $6m to help cyclone victims in Myanmar.

"The appeal will support those efforts already underway to reach affected communities with emergency shelter kits, water, mosquito nets and other items," it said.

The figure and the operation would be revised when more information emerged about the extent of the damage from Cyclone Nargis which slammed into Myanmar's southern coast on Saturday and left at least 22 000 people dead and another 41 000 missing by the official count.

"The scale of this disaster really can't be underestimated," said Christine South, the federation's operations co-ordinator for the Asia Pacific region.

More than one million people may be displaced because of the storm, said John Sparrow, spokesperson for the federation in Kuala Lumpur.

Over past days, Red Cross volunteers have been distributing basic relief items and teams of volunteers have also been through some of the worst affected areas along the Irrawaddy delta, assessing damage and needs of communities.

Many frustrated aid agencies said on Wednesday they still had no idea when the Myanmar regime would let them into the country to help the desperate survivors of Cyclone Nargis.

- AFP