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UK criticises Burma's "inadequate" response to cyclone

11/05/2008

Burma's response to the devastating cyclone that struck the country last week has been criticised by the UK's foreign secretary.

David Miliband said aid efforts by the country's officials have been "inadequate to the scale of the disaster" and warned the situation is turning into a "humanitarian catastrophe of genuinely epic proportions".

He accused the military junta of "malign neglect" and condemned it for resisting offers of international aid.

Burma original claimed that about 30,000 people had been killed by the cyclone, but speaking on The Politics Show Mr Miliband said he will be amazed if the death toll is less than 100,000.

"The message that has come back from Rangoon from our ambassador there to Douglas Alexander, the development secretary, and myself overnight paints a very grim picture," he added.

There have been some positive signs, however, Mr Miliband claimed.

"There is clearly some international aid now being accepted, some visas have been issued which has always been important for aid workers," he said.

And he added that Britain's ambassador in Rangoon, Mark Canning, reports that trucks are starting to head south in order to get to the most devastated areas.