By Xinhua,

Kuala Lumpur : Malaysia will offer humanitarian assistance to Myanmar which was hit by strong tropical storm Cyclone Nargis recently, the Malaysian Foreign Ministry said.

"The ferocious cyclone has caused tragic death and destruction to the people living in those affected areas," the ministry said in a statement available here on Wednesday.

"The Government of Malaysia is currently finalizing the details of humanitarian assistance to be extended to Myanmar as soon as possible taking into consideration the request for international humanitarian assistance made by the Myanmar Government," it said.

Cyclone Nargis struck Myanmar last Friday. The Myanmar Government has said that some 22,000 people had been killed in the cyclone and another 41,000 missing.

Mercy Malaysia, a volunteer relief organization in Malaysia, reportedly was sending a four-member relief team to Yangon, Myanmar to assess the situation in the wake of Cyclone Nargis.

The non-government group also said that it will be sending water purification sachets, medication, tarpaulins and plastic sheets for temporary shelters there soon.