May 19, 2008 Myanmar opens doors to medical teams Play video

(NECN: Thailand) - Humanitarian aid groups speaking in Bangkok on Monday said that aid flights to Myanmar were becoming more regular but they are still not satisfied with the level of response from the government, more than two weeks after Cyclone Nargis killed at least 78,000 people and left many others homeless.

During a news conference the Red Cross said they were delivering shelter kits that can help house whole families as a temporary measure while aid efforts are increased.

"There is a momentum and rhythm now to the pipeline going into the country and not just on shelter, but generally. And shelter being for the federation the largest section in its emergency appeal," said John Sparrow from the International Committee of the Red Cross.

Amanda Pitt from the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs in Thailand said that the UN is not satisfied with the response from Myanmar's government.

"We can see from the pictures that we're seeing on the ground and the reports that the situation is terrible," said Pitt.

"What we're trying to do, at all levels, is to keep engaging with all those partners to try and continue the movement we're seeing," she told reporters at the news conference.

The World Food Program says they are reaching about 30 percent of the 750,000 people they have identified as in most urgent need of sustenance.

"I think about a week ago we were talking in terms of struggling to reach 20

A senior UN envoy arrived in Myanmar on Sunday to urge its military junta to accept more international aid for cyclone survivors, amid mounting fears of starvation, especially among children.

John Holmes, the UN undersecretary-general for humanitarian affairs, was greeted by Deputy Foreign Minister Kyaw Thu at the start of a three-day trip that will include a tour of the Irrawaddy delta, the area most severely hit by Cyclone Nargis on May 2 and 3.

Holmes was dispatched to Myanmar after junta leader Senior General Than Shwe refused to take telephone calls from United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon or to respond to two letters from him, a UN spokesperson said in New York.

His visit comes as world leaders expressed outrage at the handling of the disaster by the military regime, which insists it is managing relief operations perfectly well on its own despite evidence that many of the 2.5 million survivors are living in misery - with little food, shelter, medical help, clean drinking water or sanitation.

Aid agencies say the death toll alone could be 128,000.