CANBERRA—A Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) aircraft has landed in Burma with 31 tonnes of emergency supplies to help the millions of Burmese left homeless and hungry by Cyclone Nargis.
About 100,000 people are feared dead and at least 1.5 million have been left homeless by the cyclone which hit southern Burma more than a week ago.
The Burmese military junta has earned international condemnation for blocking the entry of foreign emergency relief workers into the reclusive country.
Most offers of international experts have been rebuffed although the junta is allowing in supplies on the condition it carries out the distribution of goods.
Prime Minister Kevin Rudd described the regime's behaviour as callous.
"It has been appallingly difficult to get assistance into Burma and once in, to have any guarantee of its proper distribution," he told parliament.
"The response of the regime in Burma to this crisis has been absolutely callous and those paying the price for this callousness have been the long-suffering Burmese people."
Mr Rudd said some modest progress was being made.
"Some relief supplies from international donors is getting through, although is estimated to be only about one-tenth of what is needed," he said.
"Though I am pleased to say the Royal Australian Air Force C-17 Globemaster arrived in Rangoon and unloaded much needed supplies.
"At our request the Burmese government agreed to let our aircraft land to deliver its supplies, on board this C-17 (are) around 31 tonnes of supplies from Defence and AusAID.
"It included water containers, water purification tablets, bedding, blankets, tarpaulins and medical supplies."
There are growing concerns the new threat facing the Burmese comes from disease and starvation.
"The concern now is that a population that is already weak and vulnerable will face a very real risk of the spread of disease and starvation," Mr Rudd said.
"It is hard to get a clear picture of precisely the impact on the ground in Burma because of the attitude and posture adopted by the regime."
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