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First US military plane carrying aid arrives in Myanmar
A US military plane carrying aid for cyclone victims has delivered its relief supplies in Myanmar on Monday.
- Agencies
- Published: 08:29 May 12, 2008
- The first plane carrying aid from the United States arrived in Myanmar on Monday.
- Image Credit: Gulf News Archive
Yangon: A US military plane carrying aid for cyclone victims has delivered its relief supplies in Myanamar on Monday.
The unarmed military cargo plane, carrying 28,000 pounds of supplies flew from Thai air force base Utapao and landed in Yangon, where it was greeted by several Myanmar Cabinet ministers, military officers and the top US diplomat in Myanmar.
The aid was to be ferried by air force helicopters to the worst-hit Irrawaddy delta later on Monday, a government spokesman said.
Two more planes are expected to arrive on Tuesday.
UN Assistant Secretary-General Catherine Bragg and other officials have urged Myanmar to open their borders to foreign help.
A UN humanitarian operations spokesman said: "The authorities of the country need to open up to an international relief effort. There aren't enough boats, trucks, helicopters in the country to run the relief effort of the scale we need. It's urgent that the authorities do open themselves up."
In accepting US help, the junta has made a huge concession, while still insisting they will distribute relief goods on their own.
The military plane is carrying wood, buckets, nails, blankets and plastic tarps, and other relief goods that will be handed to the military junta in Myanmar.
Three US Navy ships in the Bay of Bengal were also sailing closer to Myanmar on Monday, ready to aid cyclone victims if they are given permission.
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