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YANGON, MAYNMAR - MYANMAR'S military rulers have granted 1,670 visas to foreign aid experts to deliver humanitarian aid to victims of the cyclone that devastated the country two months ago, state media said on Tuesday.
The regime had come under fierce international criticism for taking weeks to approve visas for foreign experts after Cyclone Nargis pounded ashore on May 2, leaving more than 138,000 dead or missing.
The United Nations estimates that 2.4 million people need food, shelter or other aid.
After a personal visit by UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon, the junta slowly started to open up access to the country, although agencies still face restrictions on their work.
The official New Light of Myanmar newspaper said that as of June 30, the regime had given 1,670 visas, mainly to United Nations and other international aid workers, but also to medical teams from around Southeast Asia.
'The state has granted visas to experts and personnel from international aid organisations to provide humanitarian assistance to the storm victims,' the paper said.
It did not say how long the aid workers were allowed to stay inside the country or if they were allowed to travel outside the main city Yangon. -- AFP
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