HUMAN DEVASTATION IN THE

PHILIPHINES

SUPER TYPHOON HAIYAN 10,000

FEARED DEAD

“I have no house, I have no clothes. I don’t know how I will restart my life, I am so confused,” an unidentified woman said, crying. “I don’t know what happened to us. We are appealing for help. Whoever has a good heart, I appeal to you — please help.”

HUMAN DEVASTATON: PHILIPHINES

SUPER TYPHOON HAIYAN

“On the way to the airport we saw many bodies along the street,” Philippine-born Australian Mila Ward, 53, told the AP. “They were covered with just anything — tarpaulin, roofing sheets, cardboards.”

She said she passed “well over 100” dead bodies along the way.

HUMAN DEVASTATON: PHILIPHINES

SUPER TYPHOON HAIYAN

First off, Tacloban City is devastated. The city is a horrid landscape of smashed buildings and completely defoliated trees, with widespread looting and unclaimed bodies decaying in the open air. The typhoon moved fast and didn't last long-- only a few hours-- but it struck the city with absolutely terrifying ferocity. At the height of the storm, as the wind rose to a scream, as windows exploded and as our solid-concrete downtown hotel trembled from the impact of flying debris, as pictures blew off the walls and as children became hysterical, a tremendous storm surge swept the entire downtown. Waterfront blocks were reduced to heaps of rubble. In our hotel, trapped first-floor guests smashed the windows of their rooms to keep from drowning and screamed for help, and we had to drop our cameras and pull them out on mattresses and physically carry the elderly and disabled to the second floor. Mark's leg was ripped open by a piece of debris and he'll require surgery. The city has no communication with the outside world. The hospitals are overflowing with the critically injured. The surrounding communities are mowed down. After a bleak night in a hot, pitch-black, trashed hotel, James, Mark, and I managed to get out of the city on a military chopper and get to Cebu via a C-130-- sitting next to corpses in body bags. Meteorologically, Super Typhoon HAIYAN was fascinating; from a human-interest standpoint, it was utterly ghastly. It's been difficult to process.

HUMAN DEVASTATON: PHILIPHINES

SUPER TYPHOON HAIYAN

THE DEAD ALL OVER LIKE THIS: NO ONE THE BURY THE DEAD

HUMAN DEVASTATON:

PHILIPHINES SUPER TYPHOON

HAIYAN

Haiyan hit the eastern seaboard of the Philippines on Friday and quickly barrelled across its central islands, packing winds of 235 kph (147 mph) that gusted to 275 kph (170 mph), and a storm surge of 6 metres (20 feet).

Its sustained winds weakened to 133 kph (83 mph) as it crossed the South China Sea before approaching northern Vietnam, where it was forecast to hit land early Monday. Authorities there evacuated hundreds of thousands of people.

Hardest hit in the Philippines was Leyte Island, where officials said there may be 10,000 dead in the provincial capital of Tacloban alone. Reports also trickled in from elsewhere on the island, as well as from neighbouring islands, indicating hundreds more deaths, although it will be days before the full extent of the storm can be assessed.

"On the way to the airport we saw many bodies along the street," said Philippine-born Australian Mila Ward, 53, who was waiting at the Tacloban airport to catch a military flight back to Manila, about 580 kilometres (360 miles) to the northwest. "They were covered with just anything -- tarpaulin, roofing sheets, cardboard." She said she passed "well over 100" bodies.

HUMAN DEVASTATON  PHILIPHINES

SUPER TYPHOON HAIYAN

HUMAN DEVASTATON  PHILIPHINES

SUPER TYPHOON HAIYAN

Thousands of homes lie destroyed near the fishport after super Typhoon Haiyan battered Tacloban city, central Philippines. One of the most powerful storms ever recorded killed at least 10,000 people in the central Philippines, with huge waves sweeping away entire coastal villages and devastating the region's main city

HUMAN DEVASTATON  PHILIPHINES

SUPER TYPHOON HAIYAN

An aerial view of the damage in Leyte following Super Typhoon Haiyan in the area. The death toll from a super typhoon that decimated entire towns in the Philippines could soar well over 10,000, authorities have warned

Residents push dead bodies on a cart after strong waves caused by Typhoon Haiyan slammed into Tacloban city. The typhoon, one of the strongest storms on record, slammed into six central Philippine islands, leaving a wide swath of destruction and hundreds of people dead

A resident who survived Typhoon Haiyan cries inside a stadium used as an evacuation centre in Tacloban, Leyte province, central Philippines

Survivors walk through the rubble of damaged homes and a ship that was washed ashore in Tacloban city, Leyte province

A general view of flattened houses along the coastal area in Tacloban

A boy carries relief goods, walking past the devastation caused by Typhoon Haiyan, in Tacloban city, Leyte province, central Philippines

Devastation: The scene in Tacloban in central Philippines after it was hit by Haiyan

A house is engulfed by the storm surge brought about by typhoon Haiyan that hit Legazpi city, Albay province

A resident runs past an uprooted tree amidst strong winds as Typhoon Haiyan pounded Cebu City, in central Philippines

A man walks past a tree uprooted by strong winds brought by super Typhoon Haiyan that hit Cebu city, central Philippines

Residents stand along a sea wall as high waves pounded them amidst strong winds as Typhoon Haiyan hit the city of Legaspi, Albay province, south of Manila

Houses destroyed by the strong winds caused by typhoon Haiyan at Tacloban, eastern island of Leyte

Fallen trees and destroyed houses in the aftermath of Super Typhoon Haiyan in Tacloban, eastern island of Leyte

Astronaut Karen L. Nyberg took this picture of Typhoon Haiyan from the Internatioal Space Station

TONS OF FOOD ARRIVED: NEEDS MORE HELP TO DISTRIBUTE

Nov. 12, 2013, 12:14 p.m. ET

Typhoon survivors rush to get a chance to board a C-130 military transport plane in Tacloban city, Leyte province, central Philippines, Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2013. (AP Photo/Bullit Marquez)

TACLOBAN, Philippines (AP) - The day after Typhoon Haiyan struck the eastern Philippine coast, a team of 15 doctors and logistics experts was ready to fly here 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," Lee Pik Kwan said in a telephone interview.

The Philippines: One Week After

Typhoon Haiyan

It's now one week after Super Typhoon Haiyan made landfall, wreaking unprecedented damage and killing thousands. The islands of Leyte and Samar were hardest hit, with entire cities and towns reduced to rubble and debris. The past week was a desperate one for survivors as they struggled to find food, clean water, shelter, and security. Widespread destruction left roads impassable, electricity cut, government services in a shambles, and 600,0000 homeless. International aid is only now starting to arrive in significant amounts, and bodies are still being discovered among the debris

The Philippines: One Week After

Typhoon Haiyan

A man works on building a temporary shelter outside the Tacloban Stadium on November 15, 2013 in Leyte, Philippines. Typhoon Haiyan which ripped through Philippines over the weekend has been described as on of the most powerful typhoons ever to hit land, leaving thousands dead and hundreds of thousands homeless.

A Philippines Air Force personel throws a bag of food items to residents in a remote village on November 15, 2013 in Leyte, Philippines. Typhoon Haiyan which ripped through Philippines over the weekend.

People line up for relief handouts outside the Tacloban Stadium on November 15, 2013 in Leyte, Philippines. Typhoon Haiyan which ripped through Philippines over the weekend has been described as on of the most powerful typhoons ever to hit land, leaving thousands dead and hundreds of thousands homeless.

Food packages are handed out to residents outside the Tacloban Stadium on November 15, 2013 in Leyte, Philippines. Typhoon Haiyan which ripped through Philippines over the weekend has been described as on of the most powerful typhoons ever to hit land, leaving thousands dead and hundreds of thousands homeless.

US troops unload relief from one of the US Bell Boeing V-22 Osprey in Tacloban airport on November 15, 2013 in Leyte, Philippines. Typhoon Haiyan which ripped through Philippines over the weekend has been described as one of the most powerful typhoons ever to hit land, leaving thousands dead and hundreds of thousands homeless. Countries all over the world have pledged relief aid to help support those affected by the typhoon, however damage to the airport and roads have made moving the aid into the most affected areas very difficult. With dead bodies left out in the open air and very limited food, water and shelter, health concerns are growing. (Photo by Jeoffrey Maitem/Getty Images)

People wait for flights out of Tacloban Airport in the early hours of the morning on November 15, 2013 in Tacloban, Philippines. Typhoon Haiyan which ripped through Philippines over the weekend has been described as one of the most powerful typhoons ever to hit land, leaving thousands dead and hundreds of thousands homeless.

A ship is seen amongst the debris caused by the typhoon in Tacloban on November 15, 2013 in Tacloban, Philippines. Typhoon Haiyan which ripped through Philippines over the weekend has been described as one of the most powerful typhoons ever to hit land, leaving thousands dead and hundreds of thousands homeless. Countries all over the world have pledged relief aid to help support those affected by the typhoon, however damage to the airport and roads have made moving the aid into the most affected areas very difficult.

TACLOBAN, PHILIPPINES - NOVEMBER 15: A ship is seen amongst the debris caused by the typhoon in Tacloban on November 15, 2013 in Tacloban, Philippines. Typhoon Haiyan which ripped through Philippines over the weekend has been described as one of the most powerful typhoons ever to hit land, leaving thousands dead and hundreds of thousands homeless. Countries all over the world have pledged relief aid to help support those affected by the typhoon, however damage to the airport and roads have made moving the aid into the most affected areas very difficult. With dead bodies left out in the open air and very limited food, water and shelter, health concerns are growing.

Tacloban Hospital on November 15, 2013 in Tacloban, Philippines. Typhoon Haiyan which ripped through Philippines over the weekend has been described as one of the most powerful typhoons ever to hit land, leaving thousands dead and hundreds of thousands homeless. Countries all over the world have pledged relief aid to help support those affected by the typhoon, however damage to the airport and roads have made moving the aid into the most affected areas very difficult. With dead bodies left out in the open air and very limited food, water and shelter, health concerns are growing.

Residents wait for their turn to get relief supplies in Tacloban Hospital on November 15, 2013 in Tacloban, Philippines. Typhoon Haiyan which ripped through Philippines over the weekend has been described as one of the most powerful typhoons ever to hit land, leaving thousands dead and hundreds of thousands homeless.

A mass grave for the dead is seen following the recent typhoon in Tacloban on November 15, 2013 in Tacloban, Philippines.

A dead man lies in debris by the water's edge on November 15, 2013 in Leyte, Philippines. Typhoon Haiyan which ripped through Philippines over the weekend has been described as one of the most powerful typhoons ever to hit land, leaving thousands dead and hundreds of thousands homeless.

A man sifts through debris on November 15, 2013 in Leyte, Philippines. Typhoon Haiyan which ripped through Philippines over the weekend has been described as one of the most powerful typhoons ever to hit land, leaving thousands dead and hundreds of thousands homeless.

A man pushes a rickshaw through a demolished street on November 14, 2013 in Leyte, Philippines. Typhoon Haiyan which ripped through Philippines over the weekend has been described as one of the most powerful typhoons ever to hit land, leaving thousands dead and hundreds of thousands homeless.