Australia hikes aid for Myanmar
Sydney - Australia, which initially pledged 3 million Australian dollars (2.8 million US dollars), increased the total to 25 million Australian dollars emergency aid to Myanmar Sunday in the wake of cyclone Nargis.
Foreign Minister Stephen Smith told reporters the money would be evenly split between the UN flash appeal and Australian non-governmental organizations already helping in Myanmar.
"We are dealing with a human tragedy on a mammoth scale," Smith said. "It's beyond the capacity of any one nation-state to deal with."
Smith urged the Association of South-East Asian Nations to pressure the military rulers of Myanmar to allow outside help for cyclone victims. (dpa)
