Wellington - New Zealand is contributing 1.5 million New Zealand dollars (about 1.2 million US) to United Nations' efforts to help Myanmar recover from the devastation caused by Cyclone Nargis, Prime Minister Helen Clark said Thursday.

She announced an additional 1 million New Zealand dollars to an initial 500,000 dollars pledged Wednesday to New Zealand aid and relief agencies involved in Myanmar, with the bulk of it going to the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF).

"Our contribution to UNICEF will focus on caring for the injured, preventing the spread of disease and ensuring children have access to clean water and food," Clark said.

"While access to Myanmar has proved difficult, UNICEF is now mobilised on the ground. They have the expertise and relationships in place to coordinate quickly to help the young victims of this disaster." (dpa)