Myanmar welcomes int'l assistance for cyclone victims

JAKARTA, May 9 (Xinhua) -- The Myanmar government has made it clear that it welcomes other countries' efforts to extend humanitarian assistance for the victims of Cyclone Nargis which hit the country last week, an Indonesian foreign ministry spokesman said.

Myanmar's attitude was expressed by its foreign minister, U Nyan Win, to his Indonesian counterpart, Hassan Wirajudha, by telephone, Antara news agency quoted the ministry's spokesman, Kristiarto Soeryo Legowo, as saying on Friday.

At least 22,500 people were killed and 41,000 others went missing when Cyclone Nagris swept through Myanmar recently.

Legowo said some countries had asked Indonesia to sound out the Myanmar administration on whether it was willing to accept international assistance.

He said the two foreign ministers in their telephone conversation did not discuss conditions foreign countries or international organizations had to meet to provide relief aid for the disaster victims. The Myanmar foreign minister had only said that given the extent of the damage and the huge number of fatalities the cyclone had caused, the Myanmar government would welcome international humanitarian assistance.

Indonesia has sent relief aid in kind and one million U.S. dollars in funds to Myanmar to help the victims of Cyclone Nargis.

Earlier, United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said in a statement that the cyclone in Myanmar had destroyed the homes of one million people.

Related:

Official: Myanmar accepts U.S. humanitarian aid

YANGON, May 9 (Xinhua) -- Myanmar has accepted an offer of the United States to send humanitarian aid to the country's cyclone victims, state radio reported Friday in a night broadcast.

Myanmar Deputy Foreign Minister U Kyaw Thu gave the assurance Friday to the Charge d'affaires of the United States Shari Villarosa, saying that the country is receiving such relief aid from any country without discrimination at this time according to its policy dealing with the disaster, the report said. Full story

Myanmar cyclone death toll rises to 23,335

YANGON, May 9 (Xinhua) -- The death toll of Myanmar's cyclone disaster rose by 338 to 23,335 from 22,997, according to a news report of the state radio Friday evening.

Altogether 37,019 people remained missing, down from 42,119, the report said, adding that the number of the injured stood 1,403. Full story

UN launches $187 mln appeal for cyclone-hit Myanmar

UNITED NATIONS, May 9 (Xinhua) -- The United Nations launched a flash appeal for 187 million U.S. dollars on Friday to aid more than 1.5 million victims of Cyclone Nargis, which struck Myanmar last week.

The flash appeal would enable 10 UN organizations and nine nongovernmental organizations to "support the government of Myanmar in addressing the needs of more than 1,500,000 people affected by the cyclone," said a UN statement. Full story