Aid too slow in reaching Philippine needy
The United Nations humanitarian chief Valerie Amos has said aid is too slow to get to survivors of Typhoon Haiyan. Ms Amos is the coordinator for the UN relief effort. She told reporters in Manila how urgent it was to act more quickly. She said: "The situation is dismal." She added that people are extremely desperate and they need assistance. Many people have left the worst areas and many more are trying to leave. Survivors are saying aid is taking too long to arrive. Ms Amos said a faster delivery was the "immediate priority". Bad weather stopped earlier efforts at providing aid. Typhoon Haiyan is possibly the strongest on record to hit land. Meteorologists say the winds were up to 315kph. Over 10,000 people died in the city of Tacloban. Hundreds of thousands are homeless after the typhoon flattened everything in its path. The New York Times said this has caused "typhoon gridlock". Damaged roads are making it almost impossible to get around. People are desperate for water. The Doctors Without Borders charity said: "Access is extremely difficult." Christian Aid said: "The devastation here is unimaginable." |