Sixty-five thousand people have died and a situation that was already critical is now desperate, international relief officials said.

Most areas still have no electricity, no phone lines, no shelter, no medicine and no clean water. And hundreds of thousands of people still have no help.

Diplomats and aid groups warned that the number of dead could eventually exceed 100,000 because of illness and said thousands of children may have been orphaned.

Survivors in one of the worst-affected areas, near the town of Bogalay about 20 miles inland, were among those fighting hunger, illness and wrenching loneliness.

"All my 28 family members have died," said Thein Myint, a 68-year-old fisherman who was overcome by tears and trauma as he tried to explain how the May 3 cyclone swept away the rest of his family. "I am the only survivor."

Northwest-based Medical Teams International is ready with staff and supplies in Indonesia, but the aid workers still need the Myanmar government to grant them visas.

"It's been six days as you know, so water borne diseases are the immediate threat," said Dave Witt of Medical Teams International. "Other diseases start to set in as days go by, so it's critical we get our people in there."

Federal Way-based World Vision already had 580 workers in Myanmar when the cyclone hit. They are distributing rice, water and tarps for shelter.

But the need is overwhelming.

"Every day we learn just how massive this disaster is," says Rachel Wolff of World Vision. "Our teams came back with reports where houses and structures have been destroyed - 70-80 percent of the entire community."

Seattle-area families are starting to get word from relatives in Myanmar.

Pwint Htun received an email this week saying, "Grandma OK. Water only available from rain."

The brief message talked of rioting, looting and bodies floating in the river.

Initially, Myanmar confiscated emergency aid - trying to control relief efforts. With an estimated one out of 10 survivors getting help so far, local volunteers are anxious to go.

"We're praying it's any moment now. We're ready," said Wolff.

Meanwhile, the forecasts are calling for more heavy rain in the region, which is certain to worsen the plight of almost 2 million people awaiting food, clean water, shelter and medicine.

Officials have said only one out of 10 people who are homeless, injured or threatened by disease and hunger have received some kind of aid in the week since the cyclone hit.

On Friday, Myanmar's military rulers seized two planeloads containing enough high-energy biscuits to feed 95,000 people sent by the U.N. World Food Program, which briefly suspended help after the action. The U.N. later agreed to send two more planes to help survivors.

The government acknowledged taking control of the shipments and said it plans to distribute the aid itself to affected areas.

But the government, which wants full control of relief operations, has less than 40 helicopters, most of them small or old. It also has only about 15 transport planes, primarily small jets unable to carry hundreds of tons of supplies.

"Not only don't they have the capacity to deliver assistance, they don't have experience," said Mark Farmaner, director of the pro-democracy Burma Campaign UK. "It's already too late for many people. Every day of delays is costing thousands of lives."

The U.N. has grown increasingly critical of Myanmar's refusal to let in foreign aid workers who could assess the extent of the disaster with the junta apparently overwhelmed. None of the 10 visa applications submitted by the WFP has been approved.

Myanmar, which is also known as Burma, has agreed to allow a single U.S. cargo aircraft to bring in relief supplies for victims of a cyclone, said Maj. Stuart Upton, a Pentagon spokesman.

"We hope that this is the beginning of broader support between the United States and Burma to help the Burmese people," he said.

The U.S. has an enormous ability to deliver aid quickly, evident during the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami that killed 230,000 people in a dozen nations.

To donate to Medical Teams International: Visit www.medicalteams.org or call 800-959-4325.

To donate to World Vision: Visit www.worldvision.org or call 888-511-3514.

To donate to Mercy Corps: Visit www.mercycorps.org or call 800-852-2100.