UNITED NATIONS, May 9 (Xinhua) -- The United Nations launched a flash appeal for 187 million U.S. dollars on Friday to aid more than 1.5 million victims of Cyclone Nargis, which struck Myanmar last week.

    The flash appeal would enable 10 UN organizations and nine nongovernmental organizations to "support the government of Myanmar in addressing the needs of more than 1,500,000 people affected by the cyclone," said a UN statement.

    "The planning horizon for this appeal is six months," the statement said. "The appeal will be regularly updated to reflect new needs as the situation evolves."