The Burmese authorities are under pressure to allow supplies and volunteers into the country as aid agencies "race against time" to prevent a humanitarian disaster.
Survivors in Dedaye township
Politicians, senior aid officials and religious leaders have joined together to condemn the military junta for dragging their feet while people across the country suffer in the aftermath of the cyclone, which has killed an estimated 100,000 people.
Aid has slowly started to trickle into the deluged country but humanitarian groups said it is not reaching the hundreds of thousands of people affected by the disaster quickly enough.
A United Nations road convoy has now crossed into Burma and three Red Cross planes have arrived in the country with others due in the next few days.
But agencies said the aid is not being distributed quickly enough due to the "frustratingly long" clearance processes in the country.
Organisations also complained that visas were not being made available for some specialists trained to deal with humanitarian disasters.
The World Food Programme, (WFP) confirmed two planes containing humanitarian supplies had "not been released" by the Burmese authorities after arriving in the capital Rangoon earlier today.
An estimated 1.5 million people have been displaced or affected by Cyclone Nargis which struck last Saturday.
Aid not getting through quickly enough
Despite the growing crisis, the military government has pushed ahead with a referendum, although balloting was postponed for two weeks in the areas hardest hit by the cyclone.
The Bishop of Shrewsbury, the Rt Revd Dr Alan Smith, launched a stinging attack on the Burmese authorities.
He said it was "absolutely appalling that they are hindering people who are ready, waiting and keen, with expertise and resources, to come in and help while people are dying hour by hour."
The Disaster Emergency Committee (DEC), is helping to co-ordinate the humanitarian response provided by numerous aid agencies dealing with the crisis.
Activists protest against referendum
A DEC spokeswoman said: "We do think it's slightly more positive today. A lot of the aid organisations are now in place - aid is going in slowly. It's certainly not a flood but it is better than it was.
"Aid is going through, blockages are being lifted, people are getting visas."
But Sky presenter Jeremy Thompson, speaking inside Burma, said: "The biggest worry for aid agencies after this catastrophic cyclone is disease - bodies litter the place.
"There has been an awful lot of rain today and people have been warning us that more storms are coming."
Ray Hasan, from Christian Aid said: "Supplies will run out unless more aid is allowed into the country.
"Partners are telling us that there are outbreaks of disease already. There is no time to lose."
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