UN: 45 dead in last month's Myanmar cyclone

UN officials say the number of dead from last month's cyclone in Myanmar has climbed to 45, with 10 people still missing and 49 injured.

Elisabeth Byrs, the UN aid coordination office spokeswoman, told reporters in Geneva on Tuesday that 81,000 people have been left homeless in the disaster.

The government is requesting tarpaulins - not tents - due to the heat.

Cyclone Giri struck Myanmar's western coast, lashing areas where families live mostly in bamboo huts.

UNICEF spokeswoman Marixie Mercado says 40,000 acres (16,185 hectares) of rice paddies were wiped out just a month before harvest, and many people are still without fresh water.

The government, UN agencies and aid agencies are responding with food and other aid.