Thousands of children face starvation - charity

Save the Children has said that thousands of children are in danger of starvation following the devastation caused by Cyclone Nargris. It estimates that 30,000 infants under the age of five in the Irrawaddy Delta were already "acutely malnourished" before the cyclone hit on May 2.

However, following the cyclone the situation has dramatically worsened. Farmers in the Irrawaddy Delta - the country's rice bowl - have been prevented from sowing seeds in time for the monsoon harvest. So, while the military junta continues to hamper the aid effort, Save the Children believes some children are already dying from malnourishment.

Jasmine Whitbread, Save the Children UK's chief executive, said on Ananova:

"We are extremely worried that many children in the affected areas are now suffering from severe acute malnourishment, the most serious level of hunger. When people reach this stage they can die in a matter of days.

"Children may already be dying as a result of a lack of food. They urgently need nutrient- and energy-rich food, and food containing all the elements of a balanced diet.