U.N. appeals for $187 million for aid for Myanmar

UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - The United Nations appealed on Friday to its 192 member states to provide $187 million in aid to help 1.5 million victims of cyclone-ravaged Myanmar, despite the ruling military junta's delays in allowing relief in.

"The planning horizon for this appeal is six months," the United Nations said in a document detailing the call for contributions. "The appeal will be regularly updated to reflect new needs as the situation evolves."

It said the plan was to provide aid to at least 1.5 million people for a minimum of three months. However, the U.N. documents detailing the appeal made it clear that planning for the Myanmar aid operation was fraught with uncertainty.

"The current difficulties surrounding access to the affected areas, the difficulties in bringing further relief supplies and expertise into the country ... are casting a shadow over planning," it said.

(Reporting by Louis Charbonneau)