Smart suburban Sheffield on a warm spring afternoon.

The wail of grieving parents, the poisonous gush of contaminated water and an all-pervading stench of death.

Cyclone-ravaged Burma left to its fate by military dictators paralysed by fear and arrogance.

The contrast could not be more stark, but there are hundreds willing to give up the comfort of the former to help out the latter.

If they were allowed in.

People like Andrew McClintock, Bill Ixer and Hazel Hill have to wait for the call to take their engineering and logistics expertise to people who need them more than anyone else on the planet right now

Although the isolationist Burmese government has agreed to the creation of a taskforce from 10 south-east Asian nations to co-ordinate the delivery of foreign aid, the easing of restrictions falls short of allowing Western charities full access to the affected areas.

The World Bank has turned its back on Burma – which has suffered £5 billion losses through Cyclone Nargis – because of its outstanding debt.

The Burmese government has said it will not accept relief supplies for cyclone victims carried by US warships and military helicopters.

Meanwhile families die in squalor as disaster reflief experts sit idle at home.

"I have volunteered to go to Burma – I'm one of 140 on the list," says 64-year-old semi-retired former steelworks logistics expert Andrew McClintock, a volunteer for RedR – the Register of Engineers for Disaster Relief – a charity that provides engineering assistance of all types in disaster situations around the world.

"We are waiting for the political door to open," added Sheffield Magistrate Andrew.

"The fact is that I am better placed than most to go at 24 hours notice.

"Often the ability to get there within the first three weeks is invaluable.

"There are those who can stay longer but need more time to prepare.

"If and when the Burmese government decide to allow western aid into the country we are ready."

Andrew became involved in volunteer work when he left school and joined the Voluntary Service Overseas.

Sitting in the garden of his handsome nineteenth century home in Sharrow, Andrew McClintock, Oxford graduate, veteran of Sri Lanka, Zaire and Steel Peach and Tozer, exudes efficiency and authority.

"It's my ruby wedding anniversary at the end of June so I can't be away too long or I really will be in trouble," he laughs.

"When we do get out there the first questions are: 'How many mouths do I have to feed? What land do I have? How are we going to get the stuff there?'

It's a different type of logistics to working in the UK and you learn to appreciate order in your own country.

"It's one thing to be able to get food to Sainsbury's or parts to Ford along sophisticated lines of communication.