(Adds quotes, background, previous UNITED NATIONS)

By Nahed Eltantawy

ATLANTA, May 9 (Reuters) - U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon urged Myanmar's military government on Friday to allow aid and relief workers into the cyclone-hit country "without hindrance," saying the survival of its people was at stake.

Ban spokeswoman Marie Okabe told reporters at U.N. headquarters that the secretary-general, who is in Atlanta on a visit, had "warned that inaction could be deadly."

"We should not lose any further time," Ban told reporters in Atlanta. "Many people have already died and if we do not take proper action at this time on an urgent basis there may be many more people who will die."

Ban has been trying to contact Myanmar's senior general, Than Shwe, to persuade him to remove restrictions on aid workers. But his attempts to be in touch with the reclusive junta have been unsuccessful.

"I have been trying to speak directly to the leadership of Myanmar," he said. "Regrettably I have not been able to contact them. I am still trying to talk with them as well as with leaders in neighboring countries."

There has been growing international frustration with Myanmar's delays in allowing aid in nearly a week after Cyclone Nargis slammed the southeast Asian country, killing thousands and severely affecting some 1.5 million people.

Ban said Myanmar's government had nothing to fear from U.N. humanitarian officials.

"I will ensure that the ... United Nations aid workers will not engage in any political debate," he said. "We are now talking about saving lives."

A U.N. World Food Program (WFP) spokeswoman said in New York that the agency had applied for 16 visas for aid workers since the cyclone and only one of those had been granted. She said Myanmar's embassy in Bangkok was now closed until Monday.

Ban's growing frustration with the junta was evident.

"My concern at this time is the very slow process of granting visas," Ban said. "Therefore I would really urge again to the Myanmarese authorities that they should expedite issuance of visas as well as customs and clearance."

Okabe said aid workers had still not reached some badly-hit areas, adding "The United Nations has personnel on the ground but their capacity is stretched to the limit."

Okabe said the WFP was sending in two aid flights on Saturday while discussions continued with the military junta on how the aid would be distributed.

The WFP had said earlier on Friday that it was suspending flights after authorities seized food supplies the agency sent in to Yangon airport.

Later on Friday the United Nations will launch a flash appeal to raise at least $115 million to aid victims of the cyclone. (Additional reporting by Louis Charbonneau and Claudia Parsons at the United Nations, writing by Louis Charbonneau; Editing by Frances Kerry)

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