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SEOUL - Australia will immediately give three million dollars (2.82 million US) in aid for victims of the devastating cyclone that ravaged Myanmar, Foreign Minister Stephen Smith said Wednesday.
The announcement by Smith, who is visiting South Korea, came as Australian aid groups joined their global agencies in scrambling to provide relief despite visa restrictions imposed by the country's military.
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"This is a massive tragedy for the people of Burma," he told reporters in Seoul, using the country's former name.
One million dollars of the Australian government relief will go to Australian aid agencies operating in Myanmar such as CARE, World Vision and Caritas.
Another one million will be allocated to the UN World Food Program, while one million dollars will go to the UN children's agency, UNICEF.
The aid package is structured to ensure that "very quickly, we can assist in remedial efforts on the ground," Smith said.
"What's particularly required...is water and water purification, food and basic shelter, including things like mosquito nets to help prevent the spread of malaria."
Cyclone Nargis battered Myanmar over the weekend, killing at least 22,000 people and leaving 41,000 missing. The tolls were expected to continue to rise as rescuers reached more isolated areas.
Smith repeated his call for Myanmar's military regime to cooperate with aid agencies.
The United Nations has said foreign staff were still awaiting visas from the secretive military regime, which has said outside aid workers needed to "negotiate" to enter the country.
- AFP /ls
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