By Tania Branigan, The Guardian
The president of the Philippines has said the scale of suffering left by typhoon Haiyan has “tempted him to despair”, as the UN expressed concern that remote areas had not been reached.
Typhoon Haiyan damage of the Philippines
More than 3,900 people were killed by fierce gales and a massive storm surge, and officials estimate that 4 million have been displaced.
A growing number of residents have been able to leave the disaster zone, deliveries of aid have become more regular and in some places markets and petrol stations have reopened.
Speaking as he visited Palo, south of the worst-hit city of Tacloban, Benigno Aquino told reporters: “One is tempted to despair, but the minute I despair, then everybody, it cascades down and everybody gets hampered in their efforts.”
Bernard Kerblat, the UN high commissioner for refugees representative for the Philippines, warned: “As of now, personally, I am not so sure that we’ve reached every single portion of the territory where people are in need of aid.”
With attention turning to recovery as well as relief efforts, the country’s energy secretary said he was willing to resign if he failed to restore power by 24 December. “It’s difficult to celebrate Christmas without light,” Jericho Petilla said. One hundred and sixty giant power transmission towers and thousands of posts were blown over by the typhoon.
He told Reuters that engineers in Palo had managed to salvage some generators and said he hoped to have 3km-4km of street lights functioning, along with the municipal hall, to give hope to residents.
Read the full story by Tania Branigan of the Guardian.
