With relief efforts slowed down by red tape, beaurocracy, and uncleared roads, thousands of survivors of Typhoon Haiyann have resorted to begging, huddling along roads with signs calling for food and help, most of them children.
Central Philippines, known for its archipelagic nature, still has several remote areas that have, until now, not been reached by any form of assistance. Typhoon Haiyan slammed into the Philippines last Friday, leaving quickly the next day, but has left a wasteland of destruction in its wake, from which residents have not yet recovered.
The whole Philippines braced for the coming of typhoon Haiyan as if preparing for a war. Residents of Central Philippines left their homes to move further inland, into evacuation centers, and higher ground days prior to what was said to be the worst typhoons to ever hit the archipelago. However, all efforts were for nothing as the category 5 typhoon crashed into the Philippines, winds uprooting trees, roofs, and cars, survivors reporting two-storey high flash floods washing away houses, relatives, and neighbors. Some evacuation centers have collapsed, killing the families that sought safety underneath.
The official Typhoon Haiyan death toll stood at 1,774 on Tuesday, a small number as opposed to the 10,000 estimated deaths. but the number of casualties is expected to rise as cleanup efforts move closer and closer towards difficult to reach areas.
The debris of destroyed structures have alse hampered relief efforts; in some areas, ships have found their way inland, swept there from the harbor by high floods and strong winds. "The only way to reach remote areas is by air, or ship," says a soldier assisting in relief efforts.
Delegation of command is also another problem in the distribution of relief efforts. Reports of organizations hoarding relief goods, and repacking them into labeled containers as a form of self-advertisement is rampant, delaying its delivery to the survivors that have not had any food or water since Friday. Some members of the media have also been criticized for overdramatizing, and even antagonizing, survivors who are taking initiatives to keep alive.
Meanwhile, people from all over the Philippines are beginning to wonder if the foreign aid--which is pouring from countries all over the world, estimated to be over 2 nillion dollars worth--will go to relief, assistance, and recovery efforts, and not diverted to corrupt pockets.
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