By IRNA,
Kuala Lumpur : The Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) is due to hold urgent talks to discuss ways of helping Myanmar cyclone victims.
Foreign ministers meeting in Singapore hope Myanmar’s military junta – which has so far blocked most of the foreign aid – might accept the ASEAN help.
Myanmar says some 78,000 people have died since the cyclone hit on May 2.
But aid agencies say many more may die without urgent help. the leader of Myanmar junta, General Than Shwe, met the cyclone victims in relief camps near Rangoon for the first time on Sunday.
UN chief humanitarian agency John Holmes is in Myanmar to urge the government to accept more international aid.
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon is expected to visit soon says some 30,000 acutely malnourished children under five years of age in Myanmar are threatened by death from starvation.
Malaysian Foreign Minister Rais Yatim said that there was a tremendous sense of frustration about aid not getting in to Myanmar.
But the minister added that little could be done without cooperation of the Myanmar authorities.
The Myanmar government has been criticised around the world for obstructing international efforts to help the cyclone victims.