UN: Philippine typhoon survivors still need help

UNITED NATIONS -- A top UN official said survivors of Typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines need more help from the international community even as some things stabilize in the wake of what some observers have called an unprecedented calamity.

"A massive disaster like this requires a massive response," Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Valerie Amos said at a news conference at the UN's New York headquarters Friday after returning from a second visit to the Philippines since the typhoon struck two weeks ago.

Amos said the UN is increasing its appeal to donors worldwide for relief aid from $301 million to $348 million, adding that the $301 million appeal is now 40 percent funded.

Scot Marciel, principal deputy assistant secretary of the U.S. State Department's Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs told Congress this week that the United States "is also coordinating with other international donors, and together, donors have already pledged funding nearly $200 million."

The Philippines National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Center said 5,209 deaths are confirmed, with 23,404 people injured and 1,611 people missing. More than 4.3 million people have been displaced. Amos said more bodies are expected to be recovered as debris is removed, adding that some have probably been carried off into the ocean.

She said the typhoon struck a wide area of the nation of islands at once and packed both unusually strong winds and a storm surge, which she likened to a tsunami, the two forces combining to make the typhoon especially devastating.

"The severe winds and storm surge wiped out entire towns," she said. Though the Philippines has one of the best disaster management systems in the world, the power of the storm would challenge any country's resources, she said.

"I have seen and heard harrowing tales of desperate need and profound loss. I also heard reports of immense bravery and heartwarming compassion," Amos said.

She said the conditions are improving: people in Tacloban, among the hardest-hit cities, have clean water. Main roads have been cleared. The UN and other relief organizations have provided basic food assistance to 2.5 million people, distributing 1.1 million family food packs containing rice and high-energy biscuits.

And dozens of medical teams, 72 local ones and 59 foreign ones, have been providing emergency treatment, she said.

Amos said that a campaign to vaccinate as many as 500,000 children under 5 years old against measles and polio and to provide Vitamin A is scheduled to begin Monday, and locals have been recruited for a cash-for-work plan to help clear debris and get the country back on track.

"But much more needs to be done," she said. "Food, clean water and shelter remain the top priorities. Vast numbers of vulnerable people are still exposed to bad weather and need basic shelter. And they are worried that the typhoon season has not yet ended. Families who have lost their homes will need substantial longer-term support from the international community to ensure they have the means to rebuild their houses."