The situation in the Irrawaddy delta area in Myanmar is reported to be "overwhelming" according to Federation representative Bridget Gardener, the first international aid official to visit the disaster zone with government approval. "The town of Labutta is unrecognizable", said Bridget. "I have been here before and now with the extent of the damage and the crowds of displaced people it's a different place."

Speaking by phone to the International Federation office in Yangon, Bridget said the most urgent needs were for shelter, clean water and first aid materials.

"People who have come here having lost their homes in rural areas have volunteered to work as fist aid volunteers."

"They deserve to be sainted," said Bridget. "Four or five volunteers are giving basic first aid to 200 people a day, and they don't even have homes to go back to when they finish."

She stressed the need for first aid materials. "The more people who can be treated for their injuries before infections set in the easier it will be for the hospitals to cope."

Bridget reported that the first shipment of Red Cross Red Crescent tarpaulins which reached the town of Myaungmya had been used to cover the roof of the town's hospital - almost completely blown off during cyclone Nargis.

"Shelter is the issue here and all over the five locations we have visited", she continued. "Some people have moved on from other temporary centres and really have nowhere to live. Where I am now there's over 10,000 homeless people and it's pouring with rain."

Although not on a health assessment mission she noted that in the urban areas at least, there were no major outbreaks of diarrhoea or mosquito-born diseases as yet. Nor had she seen any human corpses, but she added "the situation is reported to be even worse in rural areas and on the coast."

"They deserve to be sainted"

In Labutta Bridget witnessed the dedication of local Red Cross volunteers: "One woman was in urgent need of a blood transfusion. The volunteers got on their bikes and went out to get living blood. Within five minutes they had donors back in the hospital and a life was saved."

Apart from water, shelter and first aid materials the International Federation needs to get temporary warehouses set up to handle all the aid that is beginning to arrive in the affected regions. "The roofs have blown off our own warehouses so we have to set up Rubb Halls to take in the heavy equipment like water purification units and food which is largely being donated by well-wishers and the World Food Programme."

Two out of four massive water purification units have already arrived in country, and when all four are up and running they will be able to produce over a million litres of fresh water every day.

Aid continues to arrive in Yangon airport. Between Sunday and today (Tuesday 13 May) five flights bringing 25 tons of shelter materials and mosquito nets will have been processed. Myanmar Red Cross has begun distributing rice in Yangon and more has already been sent to the delta area by road. Family kits for 10,000 people, consisting of tarpaulins, pots, mosquito nets, water purification tablets and soap left today for locations in Yangon and the delta.