Geneva - UN aid agency officials in Geneva could only confirm that three visas had been granted to relief specialists a week after the cyclone struck Myanmar. Two out of five experts from a UN emergency assessment team (UNDAC), who had been waiting in Bangkok in neighbouring Thailand, had been allowed in on a commercial flight Thursday, according to the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). The remaining three were still waiting access.
The World Food Programme (WFP) said out of 16 visa applications they had received just one. They had a team of 227 people on the ground, including ten international workers, but were working closely with non-governmental organizations (NGO's) including Médecins Sans Frontieres, the Red Cross and World Vision to distribute aid.
The military regime has been condemned for failing to waive visa restrictions for humanitarian workers in the wake of the devastating storm.
The junta has appealed for international material aid but not extended that to personnel.
The UN could not confirm reports that around a hundred visas for aid agencies and other organizations were outstanding.
OCHA spokes woman Elisabeth Byrs said: "I can not say how many have been applied for. We have never been refused a visa but we are still waiting for more."
She added: "It is essential that our coordination experts enter the country to supplement the efforts of the government and UN country team which is already overstretched."
UN emegrency coordinator John Holmes appealed to the Myanmar authorities Thursday saying: "the international community simply wishes to carry out their responsibilities to aid these people in increasing need."
More than 22,000 people have been killed and 41,000 are missing with more than a million in urgent need of assistance.
Aid agencies had already started distributing relief supplies pre-positioned inside the country and the first plane loads had begun to arrive.
WFP said three planes had landed already with a fourth due to arrive Friday evening. OCHA said its first plane would arrive from Brindisi on Saturday with plastic sheeting and tents.
The International Federation of the Red Cross said it had landed five tons of material for temporary shelters at Yangon International Airport Friday morning.
The UN refugee agency, UNHCR, said it expected a convoy of trucks to cross the border from Thailand this weekend with enough equipment to supply 10,000 people.
