UN, US Again Blast Burma's Reluctance With Help

Officials the world over are expressing dismay at Burma's apparent disinterest in swift international aid to victims of the devastating cyclone that has 1 million homeless and perhaps more than 100,000 dead, Reuters reports. The US ambassador to the UN said today he was “outraged by the slowness of the response of the government of Burma to welcome and accept assistance.”

Others were more politic; the top UN humanitarian official said he was “disappointed” that the nation's military junta was hobbling efforts to aid 1.5 million people “severely affected” by the storm, which produced 120 mph winds and a 12-foot wave that wiped some villages off the map. The government has reported only 22,980 deaths, but observers fear the number will be much higher. (More Burma stories.)