200805081220 | Burma's Cyclone toll 'might hit 100 000'

Burma's Cyclone toll 'might hit 100 000'

The top US diplomat in Myanmar says the death toll may reach 100 000 from a cyclone and its aftermath. She said the country's military junta is "paranoid" about the United States but is not blocking American aid in retaliation for past criticism. US charge d'affaires Shari Villarosa estimates show 95% of buildings in the affected area are demolished, bridges are washed out. She called the situation outside the former capital Yangon "increasingly horrendous", citing relief agency reports of shortages of food and drinking water.

"There is a very real risk of disease outbreaks as long as this continues," Villarosa told reporters in a telephone call from Yangon. The death toll could hit or exceed 100 000 as humanitarian conditions worsen, she said.

She said that almost all the deaths are in the delta area. In Yangon, some 600-700 people may have died, she said.

In position

The US military has put people and airplanes into position to work on any relief effort, as officials awaited word on whether the Asian nation would accept American help.

Villarosa did not sound optimistic.

"It's a very paranoid regime," she said. "They are very paranoid about the US."

She said lower reaches of the Myanmar regime appear to recognise the magnitude of the problem, but the senior leadership is isolated and has not yet announced a final decision on how to handle outside aid.

She said she met with three ministers this week and is pressing hard to allow US aid into the country. The junta is blocking aid from other nations, and does not appear to be singling out the US because of the White House focus on human rights and other abuses in Myanmar, she said.

Three US officials said they understood it was possible the Myanmar government would only accept money from the US and want to buy its own aid supplies - or that it would only accept US assistance as part of the broader United Nations effort.

Navy and Marine Corps officials said they were in a holding position, awaiting word on whether they would be needed.

$3m in aid

The White House said on Tuesday the US will send more than $3m to help victims of the devastating cyclone in Myanmar, up from an initial emergency contribution of $250 000.

The additional commitment of funds, announced by White House press secretary Dana Perino, came as Myanmar continued to resist entry for a US disaster assessment team. The Bush administration said permission for such a team to enter the Southeast Asian nation and look at the damage would allow quicker and larger aid contributions.

The State Department said on Wednesday it was pressing Myanmar authorities directly in Yangon and Washington to accept the aid and was also asking Myanmar's neighbours and traditional friends, including China, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia and Thailand to help make the case.

In the meantime, the decision was made to funnel $3m more to the disaster-stricken zone. Perino said the money would be allocated by a USAID disaster response team that is already positioned in Thailand.