WFP spokesman Paul Risley said on Friday that WFP has no choice but to suspend the shipments until the matter is resolved.

“The food aid and equipment that we managed to get in has been confiscated,” Risley said. The shipment included 38 tons of high-energy biscuits.

Risley said it is not clear why the material was seized.

The UN also blasted Myanmar’s military government saying its refusal to let in foreign aid workers to help victims of a devastating cyclone was “unprecedented” in the history of humanitarian work.

While the junta dithered and appeared overwhelmed by last Saturday’s disaster, more than 1 million homeless people waited for food, shelter and medicine. Many crammed into Buddhist monasteries or just camped out in the open. At least 62,000 people are dead or missing, state media reported, and aid groups warned that thousands of children may have been orphaned and the area is on the verge of a medical disaster.

Myanmar is accepting international aid but it has refused to grant visas to aid workers who could assess the extent of the disaster. “The frustration caused by what appears to be a paperwork delay is unprecedented in modern humanitarian relief efforts,” said Risley. “We strongly urge the government of Myanmar to process these visa applications as quickly as possible, including work over the weekend,” he said.

Thai Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej told reporters on Friday that he will try to go to Myanmar on Sunday to persuade the junta to accept US help.

A Taiwanese Buddhist leader who just returned from Yangon said, “They try to handle the relief work by themselves as much as possible because they don’t have the time to deal with external criticism.”