U.N. launches Myanmar appeal and resumes aid flights

By Aung Hla Tun

YANGON (Reuters) - The United Nations appealed for $187 million in aid on Friday to help 1.5 million victims in cyclone-ravaged Myanmar and said it would resume relief flights despite the military government's seizure of food supplies.

U.N. humanitarian affairs chief John Holmes said initial pledges totaled about $77 million to provide water, food, medicine, shelter and other supplies to survivors of Cyclone Nargis, which killed tens of thousands of people.

"I think more pledges will follow," Holmes told reporters after he addressed representatives of the 192 member states, saying he was confident the appeal for $187 million would be met. "The important thing is that the response is there."

While Myanmar's reclusive junta has had little direct contact with the outside world, it stated its preference through state-run media to accept "relief in cash and kind" -- but not foreign aid workers, many of whom are waiting for visas in the Thai capital, Bangkok.

The generals approved one U.S. aid flight, due to arrive as soon as Monday, nine days after driving winds and a wall of water swept across the low-lying Irrawaddy Delta.

The U.N. World Food Programme initially said it was suspending aid flights after the military rulers of the former Burma impounded food shipments on Friday.

During an emergency meeting of member states about the U.N. appeal, dozens of envoys voiced concern at the difficulties aid workers were having getting in. But Myanmar's envoy insisted food and other aid were being sent where needed upon arrival.

"We are ready to cooperate fully," Ambassador Kyaw Tint Swe told the meeting. "Regarding access, we hear you and I will certainly report back to the authorities."

'FROM ANY QUARTER'

Earlier, Myanmar's envoy said the country would accept aid "from any quarter" and confirmed it approved the U.S. flight.

"We're going to make as effective use of that flight as we possibly can," U.S. State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said. While the permission was "positive," he said, many more relief runs would be needed to cope with the disaster.

U.S. officials did not know who would distribute the aid from that plane once it lands, McCormack said. They were still trying to get visas for the U.S. team waiting in Bangkok.

Myanmar has not updated the official toll since Tuesday, when it said nearly 23,000 were dead and 42,000 missing. Even those numbers, predicted by Western aid workers to rise sharply, make Nargis the worst cyclone to hit Asia since 1991.

U.S. charge d'affaires Shari Villarosa has said the death toll could reach 100,000.

The United States, long strongly critical of Myanmar's junta and the delays allowing in relief, was urging other countries to use what leverage they had with the generals.