YANGON, Myanmar — U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, rebuffed so far in attempts to discuss Cyclone Nargis’ aftermath with the junta leaders of Myanmar, announced he would go to the disaster zone Wednesday to try to ramp up aid efforts. A senior British official hinted a breakthrough may also be near that would allow foreign military ships to join the relief effort.
At least 78,000 people were killed in the May 2-3 storm and another 56,000 are missing.
The leader of Myanmar’s ruling junta, Senior Gen. Than Shwe, made his first visit to a refugee camp Sunday, patting the heads of babies and shaking hands with cyclone survivors.
In the devastated Irrawaddy delta to the south of Yangon, the situation remained grim.
In the city of Laputta, hundreds of children covered their heads from the rain with empty aluminum plates as they lined up in front of a private donation center. They were given rice, a spoonful of curry and a potato.
“Children only. Please. Children only,” shouted a man who pushed back a crowd of adults. He explained they were feeding children and the elderly first because food supplies are limited and adults can still fend for themselves.
In one of the few positive notes of the day, British Foreign Office Minister Lord Malloch-Brown told the British Broadcasting Corp. that he believes the rulers of Myanmar — also known as Burma — may soon relent on allowing military ships to join in the relief effort, especially if Asian go-betweens are involved.
“I think you’re going to see quite dramatic steps by the Burmese to open up,” he said.
A breakthrough appeared to be on the horizon in the junta’s dealings with the United Nations.
Myanmar’s military government has given permission for the U.N. secretary-general to travel to the Irrawaddy delta to visit areas hardest hit by the cyclone, U.N. spokeswoman Michele Montas said.
Than Shwe had refused to take telephone calls from Ban and had not responded to two letters from him, Montas said. Holmes was to deliver a third letter.
State-run radio said the government has so far spent about $2 million for relief work and has received millions of dollars worth of relief supplies from local and international donors.
Still, aid agencies say some 2.5 million survivors are in desperate need of help — food, shelter from intermittent monsoon rains, medicines, clean drinking water and sanitation. A U.N. report said Saturday that emergency relief from the international community had reached only 500,000 people.
Save the Children, a global aid agency, expressed concern Sunday about the thousands of children now suffering from severe acute malnourishment, the most serious level of hunger.
“When people reach this stage, they can die in a matter of days,” said Jasmine Whitbread, who heads the agency’s operation in Britain.
Although U.S., British and French warships loaded with aid are just off its coastline, Myanmar has refused to let them join in relief efforts.
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