CNN —Myanmar’s ruling junta has suspended humanitarian access to western Rakhine state, where more than a million vulnerable people are in urgent need of aid a month after a powerful cyclone devastated the region, the United Nations said. The UN’s humanitarian office (OCHA) said the decision to stop aid access in the already-impoverished state has paralyzed the humanitarian response to Cyclone Mocha and crippled life-saving aid distributions to storm-hit communities. Cyclone Mocha slammed into western Myanmar on May 14 as one of the strongest storms ever to hit the country. Residents on a damaged street after Cyclone Mocha in Kyauktaw, Myanmar's Rakhine state, on May 14. Travel in Rakhine state has long been heavily restricted and aid groups are required to apply for travel authorizations a month in advance, an aid official recently told CNN.

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Persons: CNN — Myanmar’s, Cyclone, Ramanathan Balakrishnan, Balakrishnan, “, Sai Aung, UN OCHA, ” Balakrishnan, Nargis, “ We’ve, we’re, Khine, Thurein, Sittwe, ” Organizations: CNN, United Nations, UN, Cyclone, Residents, Getty, Administration Council, Sans Frontieres, Twitter, SAC, Arakan Civil Society Network Locations: Rakhine, Myanmar, Kyauktaw, Myanmar's Rakhine, Sai, AFP, UN, Travel, Naypyidaw, Chin, Arakan, Rohingya