International aid arriving in Myanmar

GENEVA -- Ships and cargo planes carried relief supplies to Myanmar on Wednesday as aid groups distributed food and other supplies to people left homeless by a deadly cyclone.

Operations continued to be hampered by the Myanmar government's delay in issuing visas to aid workers. But U.N. and other agencies said they were making progress in persuading the government to let in more experts to help get aid to those who need it most.

U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon urged Myanmar's government to speed the arrival of aid workers and relief supplies "in every way possible" and welcomed initial approval for a team of experts from the world body.

John Holmes, the U.N. humanitarian chief, said four Asian members from the U.N's disaster coordination team have clearance to fly to Myanmar today.

The U.N.'s World Food Program said four flights carrying food and other supplies would arrive in Yangon this morning -- the first U.N. flights to reach the country since the storm hit Saturday.

Planeloads of supplies arrived from Japan, Bangladesh, India, Laos, China, Thailand and Singapore, Myanmar state television said.

Mike Kiernan, spokesman for Save The Children, said local officials were responsive, especially in the hard-hit Irrawaddy delta region.

"We have reached 50,000 people in the first two days in the delta region, delivering 30 tons of materials," he said, adding that flooded roads, communications and electric outages are still a problem.