Cyclone Nargis, which swept across Burma in early May, caused more than $4bn in damage and losses to the country, a level of devastation on a par with the destruction caused by the 2004 Asian tsunami in Indonesia, according to an international assessment.

The evaluation, compiled by the United Nations and the Association of South East Asian Nations, with the government of Burma, estimated that Burma would require $1bn (€630m, £500m) of recovery funding over three years to help severely affected survivors to get back on their feet.