Delays in getting aid to survivors of the Myanmar cyclone are increasing tensions which could spill over into violence, some aid agencies are warning.

They also say that massive hikes in food and fuel prices are hitting aid operations to some 1.5 million people in the inundated Irrawaddy Delta.

"We are very worried about the situation," Jean-Michel Grand, director of Action Against Hunger UK said.

"They are not yet starving but if people have empty stomachs when the food arrives then you can imagine the situation. People are desperate because they are afraid of not getting food."

Normally aid agencies try to pinpoint the most vulnerable when they make food distributions and ensure it reaches people fairly. But Grand said it could be difficult to target those most in need.

"As soon as you come with food in a situation where people are hungry - even if you reassure them that there's food for everyone - they want to be first so it can create a lot of tension when food distribution takes place. That's not an easy situation to manage ... I have seen people come close to rioting in other countries," Grand said.

The U.N. Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs has said that some of its partners have reported fears for security and violent behaviour in the most severely afflicted areas.

More than a week after Cyclone Nargis struck Myanmar aid is still only trickling in. The junta has been slow to accept international aid flights and doesn't want to let foreign aid experts into the country to distribute it.

The U.N. World Food Programme (WFP) says it should be moving 375 tonnes of food a day into the affected areas, but is transporting less than a fifth of that.

Brian Heidel, director of regional programmes for Medical Teams International, said he had heard a few very sketchy reports through the media of violence in areas affected by the cyclone.

"As every day goes by and people are not receiving aid there's a risk of increasing tensions," Heidel said.

"In any disaster situation - and especially one where much of the population hasn't received aid yet - there's going to be tension and huge demand for basic commodities to survive and aid agencies are very much aware of that dilemma."

"Partners are keeping that in mind to be prepared for potential violence and any types of situations that might arise."

PRICE HIKES

WFP spokesman Greg Barrow said he understood why some agencies were talking about the potential for unrest but that there had been no problems during deliveries.

He stressed that aid was not thrown off the back of trucks but normally taken to a secure facility and a system was set up to identify those in most need.

"Whatever the situation - whether it's the aftermath of a cyclone, earthquake or where people have fled from conflict - you are often dealing with people whose frustration and anxiety levels are extremely high," Barrow said.

"You have to be very careful to distribute the aid in an orderly and equitable fashion and make sure that it gets to the most vulnerable - the young, the injured, the sick."

Aid agencies say this is one of the reasons air dropping aid is only done as a last resort because supplies will generally get picked up by the strongest people and won't reach those who need it most such as the elderly and disabled.

Aid workers also say an acute fuel shortage in Myanmar is affecting everyone's ability to transport aid south.

Action Against Hunger said one oil refinery in the country had been destroyed by the cyclone and another had been damaged.

"I think fuel has gone up 500 percent and food has almost doubled. But the main issue is there's no more fuel. It's a huge problem," Grand said. Another agency said the price of rice in Myanmar had quadrupled.

"The reports we've been getting are that the price of all commodities have skyrocketed since the cyclone - food commodities, fuel, housing materials and other basic things people are trying to get hold of," Heidel said.

"The increase in fuel prices is definitely going to make this a much more expensive operation and logistically it's going to be extremely challenging."

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