Situation under control – Palace

MANILA, Philippines - The situation in Tacloban City and other areas hit by Super Typhoon Yolanda is under control, according to President Aquino.

Search and rescue operations are continuing while relief and other forms of assistance have started reaching survivors, Aquino also said.

Media accounts of those who experienced the typhoon’s wrath talked about the trauma and grieving over the loss not just of loved ones but also of their dignity, since some of them had to resort to looting just to have something to eat.

Aquino, in an interview with CNN and other members of the media in Tacloban City on Sunday, replied “I believe so” when asked if the situation was under control, except that authorities had to deal with looting and other security concerns to preserve peace and order amid the devastation.

“The situation in Tacloban, especially this report of looting, is very new to our collective experience as a country. You know, if we are to demonstrate for instance the packing of relief goods, either from Manila or from Cebu, there is quite a substantial amount, something like 20,000 food packs per day. But the idea of showing the people here that they don’t have to be desperate, it’s coming, if it’s not already on the way. Even if we get to land it here, how do you actually tell the people that it’s here? Because you don’t have TV, you don’t have radio, and you don’t have newspapers to be able to disseminate the information, hence the anxiety persists. So that is a new challenge for us,” Aquino said.

But he said the police and the military have been called in to ensure order while the government was rushing to restore power and communication services so operations would not be hampered.

Asked about the loss of life, Aquino said the priority was to take care of the people who survived and the injured.

“And then we are now actually tasking the AFP (Armed Forces of the Philippines) and also the DSWD (Department of Social Welfare and Development) to retrieve all the bodies. I think the local government units have already designated areas for mass burials because they pose a public health hazard,” Aquino said.

The President said identification of the victims would be done.

“The numbers are really alarming but still subject to verification,” Aquino said.

Officials are not ready to confirm that up to 10,000 were either dead or missing because the figure was just an estimate made by local authorities.

By air, Aquino said he saw areas with houses made of light materials totally destroyed  help raise funds for the relief efforts.

UNICEF said Sunday in a release that estimates show as many as four million children could be affected by the super typhoon that has killed thousands and could be the deadliest natural disaster on record.

The basketball league is also planning a second donation to another organization and is encouraging others to help the efforts in the Philippines, where it played an exhibition game last month between Houston and Indiana.
Meanwhile, the Australian government pledged an additional A$10 million, bringing Australia’s contribution to A$10.39 million (P425.5 million).

Australia immediately responded to the disaster by providing P15.5 million in emergency supplies through the Philippine Red Cross and the United Nations Population Fund.

Australia said it is ready to offer more assistance if needed.

US President Barack Obama said the US is already providing significant humanitarian assistance, adding “we stand ready to further assist the government’s relief and recovery efforts.”

The US Agency for International Development (USAID) said it is sending supplies, including emergency shelter and hygiene materials, to help 10,000 families. The supplies are expected to arrive early this week, according to a spokeswoman.

USAID also is dispatching 55 metric tons of emergency food to feed 20,000 children and 15,000 adults for up to five days, the agency said.

About 90 US Marines and sailors arrived in the country as part of a first wave of promised US military assistance, which included aircraft for search and rescue operations.

The initial shipment of 5,000 blankets and 3,000 tarpaulins, from a German warehouse, will give survivors the material to build temporary shelter, said US aid group World Vision.

World Vision had a target of $3 million in US donations and a global total of $20 million.

UNICEF said a cargo plane carrying 60 tons of aid, including shelter and medicine, would arrive in the country today, to be followed by deliveries of water purification and sanitation equipment.

The UN World Food Program said it mobilized a $2-million relief program that would include flying 40 tons of fortified high energy biscuits from Dubai.

The American Red Cross dispatched a telecommunications unit and, through its local US chapters, activated a family tracing service for people with relatives in the Philippines.

More international aid

Other aid mobilized for Yolanda victims include $5 million from Canada, 3 million euros from the European Commission and 1.1 million euros from Spain.

Taiwan is donating $200,000, Red Cross Society of China is donating $100,000, $100,000 from Sun Life Financial of Canada and $40,000 from Singapore.

New Zealand also increased its humanitarian relief, bringing its total to NZ$2.15 million, Foreign Affairs Minister Murray McCully said.

Medecins Sans Frontieres (Doctors Without Borders) is sending 200 tons of aid.

Germany said it is sending an initial 23 tons of humanitarian aid consisting of water, food and hygiene and medical kits. International Search and Rescue Team Germany is also sending a medical team.

Japan said it would send a 25-member relief team of mostly medical staff.

Prince Talal bin Abdulaziz Al Saud of Saudi Arabia has pledged $100,000.With Jaime Laude, Alexis Romero, Paolo Romero, Helen Flores, Jess Diaz, Danny Dangcalan, Evelyn Macairan, Jennifer Rendon, Ben Serrano, Celso Amo, Edith Regalado, Lalaine Jimenea, AP