U.N. says aid to Myanmar reaches 1M people

GENEVA, Switzerland, May 27 (UPI) -- Relief efforts have reached about a million people in Myanmar, about 40 percent of those affected by Cyclone Nargis, the United Nations said Tuesday.

Speaking to reporters in Geneva, U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs spokesperson Elizabeth Byrs said the percentage doesn't include aid distributed by the government, the United Nations said in a news release.

About 153 international flights have landed in Yangon, the largest city in the country once known as Burma, Byrs said. Between 10 and 15 flights are arrive daily.

She said OCHA officials hope the U.N. World Food Program could start operating 10 helicopters in Myanmar quickly now that the government has approved all international aid.

Meanwhile, the U.N. World Health Organization said that top priority for affected citizens is access to water, sanitation and basic healthcare.

The U.N. says at least 38,000 people dead, more than 27,000 others missing and 2.5 million were "severely affected" by the May 2 storm that devastated the country.