Cyclone Nargis Cyclone Nargis swept into Burma on Saturday 3 May 2008, killing tens of thousands and causing widespread damage.

This Nasa satellite photo from Friday 4th May shows the eye of Cyclone Nargis just off Burma's Irrawaddy region.

The entire coastal plain is flooded in the May 5 image (bottom) The entire coastal plain is flooded in the May 5 image (bottom). The agricultural areas appear to have been especially hard hit. For example, Yangon (population over 4 million) is almost completely surrounded by floods. Several large cities (population 100,000-500,000) are in the affected area.

View of Rangoon as Cyclone Nargis hit View of Rangoon as Cyclone Nargis hit. There is no electricity and many areas have no sanitation or clean water supplies.

The cyclone started on Saturday morning The cyclone started on Saturday morning. The wind was strong and blew the trees around. The rain was not heavy yet, it got much worse later

Near the peak of the storm - coconut trees swaying in the strong wind.

A palm tree battered by the wind and driving rain at the peak of the storm.

An aerial view of devastation caused by the Cyclone Nargis.

The storm struck on Saturday 5th May, swamping the streets of the country's main city Yangon.

In Yangon, a Burmese girl makes her way past a bus station destroyed by Cyclone Nargis.

Cyclone Nargis devastated parts of Burma, destroying thousands of homes

At the height of the storm, wind speeds reached up to 190kph (180mph) At the height of the storm, wind speeds reached up to 190kph (180mph). Many trees led across roads, disrupting travel and making it difficult for aid workers to deliver vital supplies.

Uprooted trees littered the city's streets in the aftermath of the storm.

Massive trunks lay strewn about but the damage in the regions was much worse.

Police and troops were able to help the clear-up in Yangon but other disaster zones are hard to reach.

Buddhist monks are also taking part in cleaning up operations.

Power lines were knocked over in Yangon, further complicating attempts to get back to normal.

Many who lost their homes - including young children - have been desperate to find shelter.

People had to queue to buy clean water.

The UN says hundreds of thousands of people are homeless and have no access to clean water.

In Yangon, police helped to clear streets littered with fallen trees and debris.

Some locals said that they had never seen Yangon - a city of more than five million people - so devastated.

A dead body is seen floating in flood waters southwest of Yangon.

Five of Burma's regions have been declared disaster zones after cyclone Nargis hit the country on Saturday.

Some aid is beginning to reach victims, but many areas remain inaccessible, officials say.

Military junta's blockade of aid International relief agencies waited several days for permission to enter Burma so they could take much-needed aid to hundreds of thousands of victims of Cyclone Nargis. The military junta gave a slow response to a request that it waive visa requirements for relief agencies. Burma's junta barred foreign journalists from entering the country and expelled one BBC reporter, state media said.

Foreign aid agencies are pressing Burma's military junta to ease movement restrictions on their staff to help victims.

Children standing amid the debris of their village, which was destroyed by the cyclone, near the township of Kunyangon

A family lies dead in Bogolay, in one of the regions worst hit by the cyclone. While the Burmese government still claims that 22,000 have died, it is feared the true figure is closer to 100,000.

The irrawaddy delta – a scene of devastation

Monday May 12, 2008 The UN says up to 102,000 people could have been killed by Cyclone Nargis and about 220,000 are reported missing. Supplies trickling into cyclone-hit Burma on the 10th day of the Cyclone Nargis disaster are far below what is needed, UN and other aid agencies say. The UN says it believes 102,000 are dead from the storm and slow aid efforts

Aid agencies have warned that deliveries need to speed up

Environmental Impacts Social Impacts $10 billion worth of damage Economic Impacts Environmental Impacts Social Impacts $10 billion worth of damage Majority of the population worked on the flooded rice fields therefore they lost their harvest and income 75% of buildings collapsed but on the delta 95% collapsed 1,163 temples were destroyed   Rice fields were flooded on the Irrawaddy Delta The 2008 and 2009 harvests of rice were destroyed - The UN’s Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) estimated that Nargis impacted 65% of the country's paddies. Strong winds up to 135mph • Storm surge of 7.6m • Heavy rainfall Floodwaters penetrated an estimated 40-50 km (24-31 mi) inland from the coast. Farmland, livestock, and fisheries were all destroyed. There was a lack of food, water for survivors Many children were orphaned Diseases spread with many survivors dying from disease 50,000 people are still missing A death toil of at least 138 000 people has been quoted, but estimates vary widely, it is thought that 80,000 people could have died in the town of Labutta alone, making the 84,000people death toll seem unrealistic It is estimated that at least 2.4 million people were severely affected by this cyclone. Structural damage throughout Myanmar was extensive, causing over a million to become homeless after the event

Responses were largely from international organisation and through international aid: • Italian flights were allowed to enter on 7th May to bring food supplies. • Bangladesh – emergency aid and aid workers used to dealing with cyclones. • Indian navy and air force supplied 140 tonnes of tents, blankets and medicines.On 8th May they also sent 50 medical personnel and set up 2 mini hospitals. • Thailand sent US$100,000 in supplies including thirty tonnes of medical supplies and twelve tonnes of food supplies from Thai Red Cross. • The United Kingdom gave ₤17 million of aid (approx US$33.5 million) and sent an international relief team to help with the co-ordination of the international relief effort. • The United States donated US$41,169,769 to the relief effort, including help from the American Red Cross.