EU aid chief urges Myanmar to open air strip, free up visas

(BRUSSELS) - EU aid chief Louis Michel has urged Myanmar's military regime to open an airbase and free up visas for humanitarian workers so that aid can quickly get to cyclone victims, his spokesman said Thursday.

"Commissioner Michel asked for concrete action from the authorities to open up to the humanitarian aid workers and to allow both the workers and the aid into the country," the spokesman.

"He called for the opening up of Pathein airbase, which could be used right now to really assist in the free flow of humanitarian aid and workers into the country," said spokesman John Clancy, after phone talks with Michel.

"He requested more visas for humanitarian workers," the spokesman told reporters in Brussels, a day after the European Union's humanitarian aid commissioner flew into Yangon on a drive to open up aid supplies.

"He asked for all these international humanitarian relief workers to have the right to circulate throughout the country where they need to go," Clancy said.

At a meeting with Myanmar's social welfare minister, who is responsible for aid efforts, Michel "made it clear that every hour counts right now, and of course thousands of lives are at stake here."

His visit comes as aid agencies say that most victims of Myanmar's devastating Cyclone Nargis remain without emergency food nearly two weeks after the storm, although life-saving goods are slowly snaking out to survivors.

The latest United Nations internal report said between 1.6 and 2.5 million people were severely affected by the storm, with about 550,000 people now huddled in temporary shelters in the Irrawaddy delta.

The cyclone left 66,000 dead or missing.

Clancy said Michel had requested meetings with Myanmar's prime minister and foreign minister and that he hoped to visit the stricken delta region, but that weather conditions might prevent a helicopter flight there.