In Myanmar, the death toll from Cyclone Nargis is expected to rise above 100,000, while hundreds of thousands more will need assistance.

Initial estimates suggest that up to one million people are currently homeless, and many more require help.

Shari Villarosa, the U.S.Charge d’Affaires of the United States Embassy in Rangoon says, 'The information we are receiving indicates over 100,000 deaths.'

The official government death toll stands at 22,000 with 41,000 missing, but humanitarian organizations operating in the disaster-struck areas are putting both figures at much higher levels.

The U.S. envoy said 95% of buildings in the Irrawaddy delta have been destroyed.

As well, the number of people requiring humanitarian assistance could number in the hundreds of thousands, according to the United Nations.

Cyclone Nargis, made landfall in the Irrawaddy delta region on Friday with winds of over 190 kilometres per hour.

The storm, which hit Rangoon later that same night, tore down trees and power lines and caused widespread flooding.

Myanmar authorities have declared five regions – Rangoon, Ayeyarwwady, Bago, Mon and Kayin – disaster areas. The population of the declared disaster areas is estimated at 24 million, with an estimated six million in Rangoon. More than 3,000 people are reportedly missing in Ayeyarwady Division alone.

“Unfortunately, we cannot tell you how many people are in need of assistance,” Rashid Khalikov, Director of the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) in New York, told reporters. “But it is likely to be in the hundreds of thousands.”

“The Secretary-General believes that this is a critical moment for the people of Myanmar, and emphasizes the importance of providing as much assistance as possible in the vital first few days following the cyclone’s impact,” according to a statement issued Wednesday by Mr. Ban Ki-moon's spokesperson.

He welcomed Wednesday’s news that some UN aid officials will be allowed into Myanmar Friday, which will assist assessment and prioritization efforts.

“Given the magnitude of this disaster, the Secretary-General urges the Government of Myanmar to respond to the outpouring of international support and solidarity by facilitating the arrival of aid workers, and the clearance of relief supplies in every way possible,” Mr. Ban's spokesperson added. “This can significantly aid the Government in responding to this tragedy.”

There are over 1,650 UN personnel – of whom 79 are international staff – on the ground in the South-East Asian nation.

On Wednesday Mr. Ban noted that the lack of communications has made it difficult to ascertain the extent of the casualties and damage.

A five-member UN Disaster Assessment and Coordination (UNDAC) team is now standing by in the region and is awaiting the required visas to travel to Myanmar to coordinate relief efforts together with the national authorities.

The UN refugee agency, for its part, is emptying its emergency shelter material stockpiles in neighbouring Thailand of plastic sheeting and tents for some 10,000 people for urgent dispatch to Rangoon.

The supplies would be distributed through a Disaster Management Committee that had been established by the Myanmar Government.

Jennifer Pagonis, spokesperson for the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), told journalists in Geneva that the agency’s office in Myanmar Wednesday purchased $50,000 worth of urgently needed basic supplies for distribution, including emergency tarpaulins, plastic sheeting and canned food.

In addition, the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has dispatched teams to make initial assessments in Rangoon, Pathein and Bago, and is positioning relief supplies. The agency says it will work with partners and the Government to provide access to clean water, safe sanitation and improved hygiene, and will seek to protect children and help them return to school as soon as possible.

UNICEF’s Myanmar field staff have started delivering urgently-need supplies to the Irrawaddy delta, and has provided medicines, first-aid kits and oral rehydration tablets to Laputta township, one of the most severely impacted areas.

In the wake of the deadly storm, the head of the secretariat of the UN International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (ISDR) Wednesday stressed the importance of having life-saving early warning systems and preparedness programmes in place when cyclones strike.

Salvano Briceno noted that many cyclone-prone countries, such as Cuba, Japan, and Bangladesh, have implemented efficient early warning systems that have reduced the death toll caused by cyclones.

“When there are comprehensive early warning systems in place, starting from meteorological technology all the way through to preparedness and contingency plans, people can be effectively warned and have time to evacuate to safer places,” he said.