Myanmar agrees to allow Foreign Aid Workers and Commercial Ships

With 78,000 people already dead and 56,000 people are still missing in the devastating 'Cyclone Nargis', the military junta of Myanmar finally agreed to allow foreign aid workers and commercial ships help the survivors in Irrawaddy Delta. However, it refused to accept aid from the military ships from the USA, France and Britain.

The decision to allow foreign aid workers was taken after the UN Secretary General Ban-Ki-Moon visited the cyclone-hit region on Friday. According to reports, at least 2.5 million people languish in hunger and illness and need immediate attention. Earlier, Chinese Prime Minister Wen Jiabao visited the cyclone-hit areas and pledged a $10 million aid. The United Nations has already launched an emergency appeal for $201 million, and has so far received about $50 million in contributions and about $42.5 million in pledges.