PHILIPPINES: U.S. steps up aid efforts in typhoon-hit Philippines

Record ID: 335436

  • Title: PHILIPPINES: U.S. steps up aid efforts in typhoon-hit Philippines
  • Date: 15th November 2013
  • Summary: MANILA, PHILIPPINES (NOVEMBER 15, 2013) (REUTERS) VILLAMOR AIR BASE VARIOUS OF EVACUEES FROM TACLOBAN GETTING OFF C-130 PLANE ELDERLY WOMAN ON WHEELCHAIR MORE OF EVACUEES WALKING ON TARMAC VARIOUS OF EVACUEES BEING GIVEN FOOD VARIOUS OF EVACUEES EATING FOOD VARIOUS OF EVACUEES BEING TREATED BY MEDICAL WORKERS U.S. OFFICIALS WITH JOURNALISTS (SOUNDBITE) (English) U.S. EMBA
  • Embargoed: 30th November 2013 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Philippines
  • Country: Philippines
  • Topics: Disasters
  • Reuters ID: LVAIGA7DARQAOWW7NAWQ5BSD3SM
  • Story Text: Helicopters from a U.S. aircraft carrier and other naval ships began flying food, water and medical teams to ravaged regions in the Philippines on Friday (November 15).
    The death toll from a powerful typhoon that swept the central Philippines nearly doubled overnight, reaching 4,000.
    President Benigno Aquino, caught off guard by the scale of the disaster, has been criticized for the slow pace of aid distribution and unclear estimates of casualties, especially in Tacloban, capital of hardest-hit Leyte province.
    The nuclear-powered USS George Washington aircraft carrier and accompanying ships arrived off eastern Samar province on Thursday (November 14) evening, carrying 5,000 crew and more than 80 aircraft.
    The carrier moved some fixed-wing aircraft ashore to make more room for the helicopters on its flight deck.
    U.S. sailors have also brought food and water ashore in Tacloban and the town of Guiuan.
    U.S. embassy in Manila's Charge d'Affaires, Brian Goldbeck said relief efforts have picked up pace.

    "I think the key point here is that, a large volume of assistance was pushed through to Tacloban. Now what's happening, is that the MV-22s, the Ospreys, together with the helicopters from George Washington carrier strike group, together with the Philippines' own helicopters. All of those assets are now moving resources from Tacloban to multiple point, I think 16 or 18 different drop points, yesterday and today. So if you think of it as a hub and spoke arrangement, those are being pushed out, and from those end points, even more are being pushed out from there, so I think that we can say there is good distribution now happening through many areas that may have not seen good distribution before," he said.
    Survivors have grown increasingly desperate and angry over the pace of aid distribution, which has been hindered by paralysed local governments, widespread looting, a lack of fuel for rescue vehicles and debris-choked roads.
    The Kapitan Felix Oca, a Norwegian merchant navy training vessel, arrived at Tacloban on Friday with goods from the U.N. World Food Programme, including 40 tonnes of rice, medical equipment and 6,200 body bags.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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