Relief Efforts Falling Short In Myanmar

YANGON, Myanmar -- Organizers say relief workers in Myanmar are far from reaching most of the hundreds of thousands of people without food or safe drinking water following the recent deadly cyclone.

The international Red Cross said the combined effort of relief agencies and the government took aid to only 220,000 of up to 1.9 million people in need in the first six days after the storm. That count includes those left homeless, injured or subject to disease and hunger.

One expert said Myanmar has about 15 transport planes but most are small jets not equipped to carry hundreds of tons of supplies. He said the country has fewer than 40 helicopters and only a fraction may be operational.

According to state media, the cyclone has killed more than 23,000 and left more than 37,000 missing.