Reuters: Myanmar mourns dead, U.N. reports aid progress

20 May 2008 19:24:52 GMT 20 May 2008 19:24:52 GMT* Myanmar starts three days of mourning

* WFP gets permission to use helicopters for relief

* U.N. chief Ban on his way to Yangon

* Myanmar to allow Japanese aid workers (Recasts with WFP helicopters, adds U.S. comments)

By Aung Hla Tun

YANGON, May 20 (Reuters) - Myanmar's junta has given the World Food Program permission to use helicopters to send aid to cyclone survivors, the United Nations said on Tuesday, as flags flew at half-staff across the country to mourn the dead.

The first day of a three-day mourning period passed in torrential rain and diplomatic prodding of the reclusive generals to allow more international aid after Cyclone Nargis hit in early May, leaving 134,000 people dead or missing.

The junta in the former Burma has allowed relief flights to deliver supplies to Yangon, the largest city, but had balked at aerial access to the southwestern Irrawaddy Delta, where an estimated 2.4 million people were left destitute.

"We have received government permission to operate nine WFP helicopters which will allow us to reach areas that have so far been largely inaccessible," U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon told reporters before departing for a visit to Myanmar.

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