United Nations emergency flights carrying relief supplies to survivors of Cyclone Nargis have been allowed to touch down in Burma.The ruling junta had been refusing to allow aid from the West into the country in the wake of the devastating storm, which is feared to have killed 100,000 people and left a million more homeless.
The cyclone slammed into coastal towns and villages in the rice-growing Irrawaddy Delta six days ago, bringing winds up to 120mph and a giant tidal wave.
UN officials said two of four aeroplanes had arrived in Rangoon while two others would follow, loaded with high-energy biscuits, medicine, and other supplies.
The biscuits are vital because many survivors lost their homes and possessions and have no way of cooking anything.
The planes had waited for two days while the world body negotiated with the military regime to allow the material in.
Eric John, the US ambassador to Thailand, said earlier that Burma's rulers had granted permission to land C-130 transport planes.
But Burmese officials later made it clear this was not the case.
Mr John said it was not clear if they had reversed an earlier decision or if there was a misunderstanding.
Alex Crawford, Sky News Asia correspondent, said that international pressure was growing for more aid to be allowed in.
She said countries around the world were waiting to be granted access to help bring in vital supplies and manpower.
All around the world they're lining up to help, but at the moment only the friendly nations surrounding Burma have been allowed in and that's only a tiny fraction of what's needed in the country," she said.
International Development Secretary Douglas Alexander said the UK had made an immediate donation of £5m in relief aid.
"This is a very grave crisis on a scale not seen since the tsunami of 2004," he said.
The UN has also donated £5m.
A local military official has told reporters around 80,000 people have died in the remote district of Labutta alone.
State media have reported almost 23,000 have been killed across the country as a whole by the fierce winds, with a further 42,119 missing.
Seventeen Britons in Burma have failed to make contact since the cyclone, the British Foreign Office said.
