The day after Typhoon Haiyan struck the eastern Philippine coast, a team of 15 doctors and logistics experts was ready to fly to the worst-hit city to help. On Tuesday, five days into what could be the country's deadliest disaster, they were still waiting to leave.
Aid is coming to Tacloban: medical supplies, pallets of water and food piled on trucks, planes and ferries, sent by the Philippine government and countries around the world. But the scale of the disaster and challenges of delivering the assistance means few in this city, strewn with debris and corpses, have received any help.
A team from Médecins Sans Frontières, complete with medical supplies, arrived in Cebu Island on Saturday looking for a flight to Tacloban, but hadn't left by Tuesday. A spokesman for the group said it was "difficult to tell" when it would be able to leave.
"We are in contact with the authorities, but the [Tacloban] airport is only for the Philippines military use," said Lee Pik Kwan.
At the medics' intended destination, it was getting out that was the problem. Thousands of people hoping for rescue camped at the airport and ran onto the tarmac when planes came in, surging past a broken iron fence and a few soldiers and police trying to control them. Only a few hundred made it aboard.
"We need help. Nothing is happening," said Aristone Balute, an 81-year-old who didn't get on a flight out of the city. "We haven't eaten since yesterday afternoon." Her clothes were soaked from the rain, and tears streamed down her face.
An Associated Press reporter drove through the town for around seven kilometres on Wednesday, seeing more than 40 bodies. He saw no evidence of any organized delivery of food, water or medical supplies, though piles of aid have begun to arrive at the airport. Some people were lining up to get water from a hose, presumably from the city supply.
"There is a huge amount that we need to do. We have not been able to get into the remote communities," UN humanitarian chief Valerie Amos said in Manila. "Even in Tacloban, because of the debris and the difficulties with logistics and so on, we have not been able to get in the level of supply that we would want to. We are going to do as much as we can to bring in more."
Presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda said relief goods were getting into the city, and the supply should increase in coming days now that the airport and a bridge to the island were open.
"We are not going to leave one person behind — one living person behind," he said. "We will help, no matter how difficult, no matter how inaccessible."
Doctors in Tacloban said they were desperate for medicine. Beside the ruined airport tower, at a small makeshift clinic with shattered windows, army and air force medics said they had treated around 1,000 people for cuts, bruises, lacerations and deep wounds.
"It's overwhelming," said Air Force Capt. Antonio Tamayo. "We need more medicine. We cannot give anti-tetanus vaccine shots because we have none."
The longer survivors go without access to clean water, food, shelter and medical help, the greater chance of disease breaking out and people dying as a result of wounds sustained in the storm.
The official death toll from the disaster rose to 1,774 on Tuesday, though authorities have said they expect that to rise markedly. They fear estimates of 10,000 dead are accurate and might be low.
Praveen Agrawal, country director with the United Nations World Food Programme, told CBC News Network that an estimated 2.5 million people in the country need immediate food aid, and more than nine million have been affected across a large swath of the country, many of them made homeless.
Ian Trites, a spokesman with Canada's Foreign Affairs Department, said there were 333 Canadians registered in the affected areas. There are no reports yet of Canadian deaths or injuries.
"We urge Canadian citizens who are in the affected area to contact and reassure their loved ones, even if they have not been affected by this event," Trites said.
Southern city to be aid hub
CBC reporter Chris Brown said from the southern city of Cebu, about 200 kilometres from Tacloban, that Cebu will be central to global relief efforts because it escaped the storm relatively unscathed.
Brown, who saw a large number of transport aircraft as he arrived, visited a university where volunteers were packaging thousands of food bags for distribution around the country.
"A very, very busy place, and scenes like this are being repeated all around the city of Cebu as this country tries to cope with this disaster," he said.
The Canadian government has sent members of its Disaster Assistance Response Team (DART) to the country. A Canadian Forces C-17 from CFB Trenton left Monday afternoon, carrying between 35 and 50 members of the team and their gear.
The government has said it will match every dollar Canadians donate to registered Canadian charities for aid to the Philippines.
The federal government has also promised separate aid money of up to $5 million.
U.S. sends aircraft carrier
The aircraft carrier USS George Washington is headed toward the region with massive amounts of water and food, but the Pentagon said it won't arrive until Thursday. The U.S. also said it is providing $20 million in immediate aid.
Latest casualty figures
- National: 1,744 confirmed deaths, with another 2,487 hurt.
- Leyte province: Up to 10,000 feared dead, with an undetermined number of missing.
- Samar: 400 estimated dead, 2,000 missing.
- Eastern Samar: 162 dead, 19 missing.
- Cebu: 63 dead, 8 missing.
- Iloilo: 162 dead, 15 estimated missing.
- Capiz: 24 dead, 1 missing.
- Aklan: 5 dead.
- Antique: 4 dead, 8 missing.
Tacloban, a city of about 220,000 people on Leyte island, bore the full force of the winds and the tsunami-like storm surges. Most of the city is in ruins, a tangled mess of destroyed houses, cars and trees. Malls, garages and shops have all been stripped of food and water by hungry residents.
The loss of life appears to be concentrated in Tacloban and surrounding areas, including a portion of Samar island separated from Leyte island by a strait. It is possible that other areas are devastated, with survivors unable to get through the region's crippled communications and transportation systems.
Most Tacloban residents spent the night under pouring rain wherever they could — in the ruins of destroyed houses, in the open along roadsides and shredded trees. Some slept under tents brought in by the government or relief groups.
"There is no help coming in. They know this is a tragedy. They know our needs are urgent. Where is the shelter?" said Aristone Balute's granddaughter, Mylene, who was also at the airport. "We are confused. We don't know who is in charge."
Damaged roads and other infrastructure are complicating the relief efforts. Government officials and police and army officers are in many cases among the victims themselves, hampering coordination.
At Matnog, the port for ferries leaving to another hard-hit island, Samar, dozens of trucks piled high with aid were waiting to cross. In the capital, Manila, soldiers tossed pallets of water, medical supplies and foods into C-130 planes bound for the disaster area.
Relief efforts at a glance
- Canada: $5 million; a promise to match donations from Canadians; 35 to 50 members of the Disaster Assistance Response Team
- UN: $25 million US from the UN's emergency relief fund.
- U.S.: $20 million in immediate aid; USS George Washington on its way; Officials from U.S. Agency for International Develoopment deployed.
- U.K.: $16 million; Royal Navy warship on its way; Royal Air Force military transport aircraft to be deployed.
- Australia: $9.4 million
- UN World Food Program: $2 million; tonnes of high-energy biscuits; help with logistics and emergency communications.
- UNICEF: Staff repositioned in Philippines; emergency supplies including water purification systems and storage equipment.
- Japan: $10 million; 25-member relief team.
- Taiwan: $200,000
- Israel: Field hospital near disaster area
- World Vision: Resources to assist 1.2 million, including food, hygiene kits and shelter.
- International Rescue Committee: $10 million appeal.
- Doctors Without Borders: Sending additional 50 people; medical and relief supplies on three cargo planes.
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