The UN’s World Food Program has said on Thursday that one of its planes has landed in Myanmar as part of the first major international airlift of aid to cyclone victims. A UN official said one plane from Italy arrived in Myanmar & three more will land later on Thursday.

He said that the planes will bring key relief items including high-energy biscuits & medical kits. The planes had waited on the tarmac for the last two days to get the junta`s clearance to bring in relief supplies to the devastated Southeast Asian country.

The top US diplomat in the country, Shari Villarosa, has said the number of dead could eventually exceed 100,000 because of the scarcity of safe food & water. A handful of smaller shipments from neighbouring countries arrived earlier in the week. Even China, the regime’s closest ally & defender, urged Myanmar to work with the international community to recover from the cyclone. China said that it would give USD 4.3 million in aid in addition to its initial pledge of USD 1 million.