30,000 missing after storm

Myanmar is in desperate need of aid.

Millions of people urgently need clean water, food and temporary shelter.

UN head Ban Ki-moon promised help for the ravaged country.

SOUNDBITE: (English) Ban Ki-Moon, U.N. Secretary-General, saying:

"I am very saddened by all the Myanmarese people having been struck by this cyclone. The United Nations will do whatever... to provide urgent humanitarian assistance."

The U.S. so far has pledged a quarter of a million dollars with promises of further help if Myanmar's leaders allow a U.S. disaster response team to enter the country.

While officials have agreed to foreign and aid workers they have not yet accepted the U.S. offer.

Australia's Foreign Minister said his country would contribute:

SOUNDBITE: (English) Stephen Smith, Australian Minister for Foreign Affairs, saying:

"Whilst we have very grave difficulties with the regime in Burma, we have over the period been continuing to render moderate humanitarian assistance directly to the people of Burma. So we stand ready, willing and able to assist in conjunction with the United Nations, and the relevant agencies."

Tens of thousands of people died in Saturday's deadly cyclone and thousands more are missing.

The devastating consequences are still uncalculated.

Tyra Dempster, Reuters, Beijing.

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