U.S. and British warships have been deployed to the typhoon-ravaged Philippines where thousands are feared dead, Agence France Presse reported. The United Nations warned that 10,000 people were feared dead in the city of Tacloban alone, the capital of Leyte province where "16 foot waves flattened nearly everything in their path as they swept hundreds of meters inland," AFP also reported.
Philippine President Benigno Aquino declared a "state of national calamity."
"We are certainly expecting the worst. As we get more and more access we find the tragedy of more and more people killed in this typhoon, said John Ging, the UN humanitarian operations director, regarding the high number of casualties.
Nearly ten million people have been affected by the typhoon as 660,000 reportedly have lost their homes, news reports said.
Martin Nesirky, The United Nations' spokesman for Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said during Wednesday's noon press briefing that Emergency Relief Coordinator Valerie Amos visited Tacloban and noted "that tens of thousand of people are in the open and in destroyed buildings buildings, and that medical facilities, food, clean water and basic sanitation are still widely unavailable. She said that priority for humanitarian agencies for the coming days will be transporting food, tents, body bags and other items as well as putting in place a service to trace families."
Amos emphasized that she had been struck by the resilience of the Filipino people, and underscored that she "commends the Philippines Government on their relief efforts so far, under extremely challenging circumstances and hopes the international community will give generously to the humanitarian response."
The World Food Programme has "distributed rice and other rice and other items to nearly 50,000 people in the Tacloban area. The Programme is working closely with the Government to bring in food and other items by air, road and sea, but it notes that logistics are a challenge."
The logistical problems concern the extent of the damage since the Philippines are comprised of various islands, many of which were devastated by the typhoon, the BBC reported.
Asked further about humanitarian aid in the Philippines, the Spokesperson said that there is a tremendous effort, both by the Philippines authorities and the international community, to get aid to where it is needed. Not enough is happening quickly enough, he added, given the vast number of people who need assistance.
Nesirky noted that "the roads to Tacloban are blocked and need to be cleared. That work is beginning, but for now, helicopters are needed to bring aid to areas that trucks and other vehicles still cannot reach.
The Pentagon, meanwhile, said the aircraft carrier USS George Washington, which has 5,000 sailors and more than 80 aircraft aboard, was on its way from Hong Kong, AFP reported.
Five other warships are also being deployed, and the group is expected to reach the Philippines within two to three days, the Pentagon said.
Ninety US marines arrived in Tacloban on Monday as an advance team.
"These ships and aircraft will be able to provide humanitarian assistance, supplies, and medical care in support of the ongoing efforts led by the government and military of the Republic of the Philippines," the Pentagon said.
