Canada is offering to send its expert Disaster Assistance Response Team to Burma to help victims of Cyclone Nargis.
But it's uncertain if Burma would accept the help. It has so far been slow to act on assistance offers from the U.S. and other countries it does not consider "friendly neighbors."
But United Nations relief supplies have now started trickling in to help hundreds of thousands of people devastated by the weekend cyclone.
However, U.S. military planes -- packed with aid supplies -- were still denied entry, five days after Cyclone Nagris hit the country. The UN estimates that at least 1.5 million people in Burma have been "severely affected" by Nargis -- which struck the country last Saturday.
The government is also holding up visas for UN aid distribution teams. The U.S. is now considering air-dropping aid to victims.
Prime Minister Stephen Harper says he's frustrated by Burma's slow response to accepting aid. In addition to Thursday's announcement that it would send a disaster team if the Burmese government allows it, Canada has offered $2 million in aid.
Foreign Affairs Minister Maxime Bernier and International Cooperation minister Bev Oda released a joint media statement Thursday stating:
"Although we are heartened by the news that some United Nations officials and relief flights are gaining access, we urge the Government of Burma to move quickly to grant immediate full and unhindered humanitarian access, including the necessary visas and customs clearance, so that desperately needed assistance may reach the people of Burma."
The UN, after days of obstacles from Burma's isolationist military government, was finally allowed Thursday to land two planes loaded with humanitarian aid. Another two planes are expected to land soon.
UN humanitarian affairs chief John Holmes told reporters he was "disappointed" that it was taking so long to get aid into the country. One of the top American officials in the country says the delays are only hurting the country's most vulnerable.
"We have demonstrated in crises around the world ... our logistical capability to get humanitarian assistance quickly in to the people who need it," said Shari Villarosa, head of the U.S. Embassy in Yangon.
Burma has allowed some Asian neighbors -- such as Thailand and India -- to help. But its ruling junta apparently fears other nations may take advantage of the situation for nefarious reasons.
The aid comes one day after a U.S. official predicted the death toll from Cyclone Nargis could surpass 100,000.
Villarosa said a shortage of safe food and clean water, as well as unsanitary conditions and a lack of shelter, could drive the death toll above 100,000.
"We're outraged by the slowness of the response of the government of Burma (Myanmar) to welcome and accept assistance," U.S. Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad told reporters Thursday.
"It's clear that the government's ability to deal with the situation, which is catastrophic, is limited."
CTV's Steve Chao, reporting from Bangkok, said Thursday he had received word that Thailand had managed to broker a deal between the U.S. and Burma, but that it had not yet taken effect.
Riots for food
Within Burma, chaos and frustration is abundant as survivors face the threat of starvation, disease and exposure, said Chao.
"There are more riots in a lot of the markets, especially in the south where much of the destruction has happened," he said.
"We understand there are lineups for food, lineups for gasoline, electricity is still out in many parts and it's adding to the anger and the frustration from the people in Burma."
Officially, Burma's state media says Cyclone Nargis killed at least 22,980 people and left 42,119 missing, mostly in the hardest-hit Irrawaddy delta.
In the delta, there were reports of bloated corpses floating in floodplains and survivors trying to reach dry ground.
"I don't know what happened to my wife and young children," Phan Maung, 55, told The Associated Press. He held onto a coconut tree until the water level dropped. By then his family was gone.
There are reports of malaria outbreaks in some of the worst-hit areas, as well as fears that waterborne illnesses could be spread due to dirty floodwaters and poor sanitation.
In many areas, even close to Yangon, Burma's largest city, villagers complained they had received no government help at all, but were relying on Buddhist monasteries.
With files from The Associated Press
