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04 July 2008 23:29 BST

First UK aid flight leaves for Burma

Monday, 12 May 2008 19:56

First British aid flight carrying supplies for survivors of Cyclone Nargis departs for Burma

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The first British aid flight carrying supplies for those affected by Cyclone Nargis will land in Burma tonight.

The plane, carrying plastic sheets providing shelter for 9,000 families, has left Dubai and has been cleared to land in Rangoon.

Douglas Alexander, the international development secretary, has urged the cooperation of the Burmese authorities amid warnings the situation in Burma has become "evermore desperate".

It is estimated that 200,000 people are dead or missing following last week's cyclone, which flooded large parts of southern Burma.

Mr Alexander explained four more planeloads from Britain were waiting clearance to fly to Burma, where more than 1.5 million people are in need of aid.

"There is now the very real danger of a second tragedy developing on the back of the first - the risk of water-borne infections grows with every day of inaction by the Burmese authorities," he explained.

"The UK is working hard at a diplomatic level to secure international and regional agreement in how best to get aid into Burma, but we are also sending humanitarian aid."

Earlier, Gordon Brown demanded Burmese authorities grant "unfettered access" to foreign aid workers, condemning the obstruction of relief as "completely unacceptable".

"We are determined to make sure that even with the lack of cooperation of the Burmese authorities, they are pressured now into the unfettered access that should be available for all humanitarian operations," he argued. End of story

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First UK aid flight leaves for Burma

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