Another cyclone heading for ravaged Irrawaddy Delta

Burma faces second wave of deaths

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A second storm was heading towards Burma’s devastated Irrawaddy Delta region last night.

Even as it gathered strength out at sea, the UN was warning that so little aid has reached the 2million survivors of the last deadly cyclone that there could be a second wave of deaths from disease and starvation.

The US Joint Typhoon Warning Centre said there was a good chance “a significant tropical cyclone” will form and cross the delta.

The area was smashed by Cyclone Nargis on May 3, leaving at least 35,000 dead and 27,000 missing, according to official figures. The UN says the death toll could exceed 100,000.

An estimated 2million survivors are still in need of emergency aid, but rescuers have been able to reach only 270,000 people so far.

However, the ruling military junta yesterday told Thai Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej it was in control of the relief operations and did not need foreign experts.

He said the junta gave him a “guarantee” that there was no starvation or disease outbreaks among survivors.

The junta has granted approval for a Thai medical team to visit the delta. If it is allowed to go as scheduled tomorrow, it will be the first foreign aid group to work in the ravaged region.

Prime Minister Gordon Brown said yesterday there has been an improvement in the regime’s co-operation with relief efforts, but it was still “not good enough”.

Bottlenecks, poor logistics and infrastructure and the government’s refusal to allow foreign workers have left survivors without food or clean water. “We are here to do what we can and facilitate their efforts and scale up their response,” said the UN Office for Humanitarian Affairs. “It is clearly inadequate, and we do not want to see a second wave of death as a result of that not being scaled up.”

News of a possible second cyclone was not broadcast by Burma’s state-controlled media, which was criticised for not issuing warnings about the May 3 storm.

Prof Johnny Chan, a tropical cyclone expert in Hong Kong, said the new storm was unlikely to be as severe as Nargis as it was already close to land, and cyclones need to be over sea for full strength.

Speaking at Commons question time, Mr Brown said the situation touched the whole conscience of the world, adding: “A natural disaster in Burma, by the actions of a despicable regime, has been turned into a manmade catastrophe.”

He said that while a British plane had now arrived in Rangoon, and three more were expected very soon, aid was still being prevented from getting through.

It was announced earlier that a British emergency appeal fund launched by the Disasters Emergency Committee had raised more than £6million in its first week.

The Queen and Harry Potter author JK Rowling have both made significant personal donations.