Matt Ortega

The death toll in Myanmar following Cyclone Nargis could rise to as high as 1.5 million people:

Oxfam warned yesterday that 1.5 million people could die needlessly in Burma as the first outbreaks of disease were reported in the wake of Cyclone Nargis, and many of the worst-hit areas went an eighth day without aid.

International agencies called on the country’s secretive military junta to allow immediate access to those stranded without food, clean water and medicines. Cholera, typhoid and malaria could take hold within days as lack of food and shelter weakened the resistance of survivors. More than 100,000 people are believed to have died in the 130mph winds and storm surges that hit the country last weekend.

“Supplies will run out unless more aid is allowed into the country,” said Christian Aid’s Burma expert, Ray Hasan. “Partners are telling us that there are outbreaks of disease already. There is no time to lose.” The UN World Food Programme said it had never seen such delays in dealing with a modern humanitarian crisis and described the official response as “unprecedented”.