An update on what Christian Aid is doing in Burma:

Christian Aid is distributing water purification tablets, blankets and medicines to 100,000 people. Supplies are being sourced from within Burma, but this will become more difficult as time goes by.

The scale of this disaster means that the response needs to be on massive scale which can only happen if the Burmese government allows international aid agencies into the country.

'Supplies will run out unless more aid is allowed into the country,' said Ray Hasan, Christian Aid's Burma expert. 'Partners are telling that there are outbreaks of disease already. There is no time to lose.'

Christian Aid has been working in Burma for 20 years and our local partners have the local knowledge to reach some of the most remote areas which have been hit by the cyclone.

Christian Aid partners urgently need more supplies of water purification tablets, medicines including salt solutions, mosquito nets, blankets and clothing and materials to rebuild homes.

They report that people are asking for rice seeds, as their supplies have been damaged. Unless people plant the seeds in the next month, they will have no supplies of rice until May 2009.

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Anjali Kwatra International Journalist 00 44 7941 371357