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YANGON: Myanmar's military rulers were under fire Tuesday after revealing more than 10,000 people died in the cyclone that battered the secretive and impoverished nation, with thousands more missing.
As relief agencies scrambled to get food, clean water and supplies into a country that normally scorns foreign aid, US First Lady Laura Bush accused the regime of not doing enough to warn its people about the storm.
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The criticism from Bush, one of the most prominent critics of Myanmar, came after the junta acknowledged the death toll was far higher than first announced -- and made a rare appeal for help from abroad.
"Although they were aware of the threat, Burma's state-run media failed to issue a timely warning to citizens in the storm's path," she said at the White House, using the country's former name.
"The response to the cyclone is just the most recent example of the junta's failure to meet its people's basic needs," she said.
The United States has pushed hard for international sanctions against Myanmar, which is perhaps best known worldwide for keeping democracy activist Aung San Suu Kyi in detention for much of the past two decades.
The United Nations and governments around the globe pledged millions of dollars in assistance after the new death toll was announced by Foreign Minister Nyan Win.
He said more than 10,000 people had been killed and that there could still be more casualties from Tropical Cyclone Nargis, which barrelled into the country overnight Friday.
"We will welcome help," the minister said. "Our people are in difficulty."
Hundreds of thousands of people were believed to be homeless around the main city and former capital Yangon, while there were thousands believed missing in other parts of the Irrawaddy River delta, which bore the brunt of the storm.
Packing winds of 190 kilometres (120 miles) per hour, Nargis ripped through the countryside, destroying entire villages, downing power lines and uprooting trees that blocked key roads in an area where transport is already difficult.
The disaster looked set to put even more pressure on the precarious food supply in the region, with the damage to Myanmar's rice-producing regions not yet known. Myanmar notably has a deal to export rice to Sri Lanka.
That rice deal is one of the few dependable sources of income for a nation which has spurned most of the outside world since the military grabbed power in 1962 -- and has ruled with an iron fist ever since.
The junta had been due to hold a national referendum this coming weekend on a new constitution which is supposed to be a crucial step in restoring democracy, but which critics say will enshrine army rule.
The regime scheduled a press conference for Tuesday morning, and it was not immediately known if the referendum would go ahead.
But the international community was gearing up for a massive relief effort, as aid agencies warned that the first several days after the tragedy were crucial in making the difference for many between life and death.
Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said the United Nations would "do whatever (necessary) to provide urgent humanitarian assistance" to the country, which is one of the poorest on the planet.
A UN relief official said the ruling generals had "shown their disposition" to accept aid but there were few immediate details on what might be sent in -- or how soon it could reach those in most need.
The European Union released three million dollars in initial emergency aid. The United States offered an initial 250,000 dollars through its embassy in Yangon. - AFP/ac
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