Geneva (AP) The International Red Cross says a lack of clean water will be the biggest killer in Myanmar in the coming days.

The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies says hundreds of thousands of cyclone victims in the southeast asian country need clean water urgently or they'll risk falling victim to diseases such as dysentery.

The Geneva-based group says its partner organization in Myanmar currently lacks the logistical and material capacity to distribute water purification units to all those who need them.

The head of the federation's global operations division made the comments today as the group launched a 51-million-dollar appeal to fund its aid operation in Myanmar over the coming years.