Bangkok - The World Food Programme (WFP) hopes to have 10 helicopters delivering food and other relief supplies to cyclone victims in the Irrawaddy delta as early as the end of the week, officials said Wednesday.

The WFP already has one helicopter in Myanmar that has flown twice, and nine more helicopters waiting on the ground in Thailand, said Paul Risley with the WFP.

"There is still a critical need for these helicopters, especially for heavy lifting in bringing food assistance in the last leg of distribution to communities in the delta," he said in Bangkok.

Risley called it a "terrific logistical challenge and a very expensive challenge" getting the helicopters to Myanmar but said 90 per cent of the work had now been done. They are only waiting for permission from the Myanmar government to use the helicopters.

"We hope by the end of the week that the nine helicopters as a group will receive the proper clearance and will travel together from Bangkok to Yangon," he said.

The WFP and the UN maintain a standing fleet of helicopters, and when the Myanmar junta said they would allow the UN to bring in helicopters "we jumped at that opportunity," he said, adding it was "unfortunate" the ruling generals would not allow foreign military helicopters into the country.
Risley said the WFP had delivered 8,500 tons of food as of June 2, but it was difficult to determine how many people in need had been reached.

Along with other UN agencies and non-governmental agencies working on cyclone relief for victims of Cyclone Nargis that struck Myanmar May 2 and 3, the WFP said it was still trying to assess the needs of the victims. (dpa)