Burma: Pope calls for humanitarians to help victims of Cyclone Mocha

Pope Francis on Sunday urged local authorities to allow aid agencies access to areas affected by the deadly cyclone that ravaged parts of Myanmar and Bangladesh two weeks ago.

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I appeal to those responsible to facilitate access for humanitarian aid," the pontiff said at the end of the Angelus prayer at the Vatican. "And I appeal to the sense of human and ecclesial solidarity to come to the aid of our brothers and sisters," he added.

See alsoBurma: the UN seeks 309 million euros for the victims of cyclone Mocha

On 14 May, Cyclone Mocha dumped torrential rains and winds of 195 km/h on Burma and neighbouring Bangladesh. The UN on Wednesday urged Myanmar to ensure the delivery of humanitarian aid, estimating that at least 800,000 people are in need of emergency food aid and other things.

According to the junta, Mocha has killed 148 people in Myanmar, most of them members of the persecuted Rohingya minority in western Rakhine state, where it has declared a state of natural disaster. The state is home to hundreds of thousands of Rohingya, many of whom are living in displacement camps following decades of ethnic conflict.