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Tacloban
Pope Francis has arrived in typhoon-hit city of Tacloban in the Philippines to hold an open-air Mass.
Tacloban was devastated by Typhoon Haiyan just over a year ago.
Tens of thousands braved pouring rain and strong winds brought by Tropical Storm Mekkhala to attend the Mass.
Pope Francis was due to meet survivors of the typhoon after the mass but the storm forced the pontiff to cut short his visit.
The Pope said as soon as he saw the catastrophe caused by the typhoon, he had decided to go to the Philippines.
Pope Francis is visiting the Philippines, where there are 80 million Catholics, as part of a six-day tour of Asia.
Typhoon Haiyan, which remains the strongest storm ever recorded on land, created a 23ft high storm surge, destroying practically everything in its path when it swept ashore on November 8, 2013.
Around 90% of the city of Tacloban in Leyte province was destroyed and more than 14.5 million people were affected in six regions and 44 provinces. About one million people remain homeless.
Pope Francis was due to have lunch with survivors of Typhoon Haiyan later on Saturday but he left Tacloban four hours early because of the approaching storm and returned to Manila.
Earlier, he apologized to the crowds gathered at the main cathedral in Leyte province and said: “I am sad about this, truly saddened, because I had something prepared especially for you.”
The Pope said his pilots had told him that the weather was going to get worse.
“We barely have time to get to the aeroplane,” he said.
Tropical Storm Mekkhala, with winds of up to 80 mph, forced the suspension of ferry services to Leyte and stranded thousands of travelers, according to the Associated Press news agency.
One woman was killed after the mass, when scaffolding near the stage collapsed, local media report.
The storm is forecast to hit the shore of nearby Samar Island later on Saturday.
During the Mass in Spanish, with a translation into English, Pope Francis spoke of the devastating impact of Typhoon Haiyan on people in Tacloban.
He told the faithful that “so many of you in Tacloban have lost everything. I don’t know what to say – but the Lord does… He underwent so many of the trials that you do”.
A national holiday has been declared in Manila for the duration of Pope Francis’ visit.
Security is very tight, with tens of thousands of soldiers and police deployed, after failed attempts to kill two previous popes in the Philippines.
The centerpiece of Pope Francis’ visit will be an open-air Mass in Manila on January 18, which is expected to attract millions.
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Typhoon Hagupit has hit the eastern Philippines, toppling trees and power lines and threatening coastal areas with a powerful sea-surge.
More than half a million people have fled coastal villages in the area, which was still recovering from Typhoon Haiyan last year.
In Tacloban, where thousands were killed by Haiyan, roofs have been blown away and streets are flooded.
However, thyphoon Hagupit does not appear to have been as severe as many had feared.
So far there have been no reports of casualties.
Typhoon Hagupit, known locally as Ruby, was packing maximum sustained winds of 109mph and gusts of 130 mph when it made landfall in Dolores in Eastern Samar province on Saturday evening local time.
Dolores police spokesman Alex Robin told AP news agency late on Saturday that many trees had already come down.
“We are totally in the dark here. The only light comes from flashlights.”
Maulid Warfa, the head of UNICEF’s field office in Tacloban, said their five-storey concrete building was shaking under the force of the storm.
Speaking early on Sunday he said: “We’re in this dark building and it’s raining heavily and there’s no electricity and we are using candles.
“We have a generator… but because of the rain and the flood and power problems we have switched it off. It’s too dangerous.”
Maulid Warfa added: “Our concern now is not us sitting in this building. Our concern is for the little children who have had to go through this experience for the second time in 13 months.”
About 19,000 people from coastal villages are in 26 evacuation centers, Tacloban’s disaster office spokesman Ilderando Bernadas told Reuters.
Typhoon Hagupit’s huge diameter of 370 miles meant that about 50 million people, or half the nation’s population, were living in vulnerable areas, officials have said.
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Tens of thousands of people in the Philippines have sought shelter as powerful Typhoon Hagupit heads towards the country.
Typhoon Hagupit, or Ruby in the Philippines, has gusts of up to 143mph and is due to hit land on Saturday evening.
It is on course for the Eastern and Northern Samar provinces and the city of Tacloban, where thousands were killed by Typhoon Haiyan a year ago.
Local residents, many of them still living in temporary shelters, are moving away from coastal areas.
President Benigno Aquino, who met disaster agency chiefs on December 5, has ordered food supplies to be sent to affected areas, as well as military troops and police officers to be deployed to prevent looting in the aftermath.
Local media reported Benigno Aquino as saying there was “no indication” for now that Hagupit would be as strong as Haiyan.
Typhoon Haiyan – known as Yolanda in the Philippines – was the most powerful typhoon ever recorded over land. It tore though the central Philippines in November 2013, leaving more than 7,000 dead or missing.
The latest update from Philippine weather authorities said that Hagupit, which means “smash” in Filipino, was weakening slightly, though it still has powerful gusts.
It could bring storm surges up to one storey high, as well as heavy rain and the risk of landslides, officials have warned.
Schools and government offices are closed in some areas and there were long queues at shops and petrol stations as people stocked up on supplies.
In Tacloban, many people have taken shelter in the sports stadium.
About 19,000 people from coastal villages are in 26 evacuation centers, Tacloban’s disaster office spokesman Ilderando Bernadas told Reuters.
He said that number was expected to double was the authorities began forcing people to evacuate.
The Philippine weather authorities said that as of 16:00 local time on December 5 Hagupit was 230 miles east of Eastern Samar and moving at 8 mph, a relatively slow speed.
Typhoon Hagupit has weakened slightly, but still remains powerful, with sustained winds of 120 mph and gusts of up to 145 mph. Up to 35 provinces and municipalities are likely to be affected.
The US Navy’s Joint Typhoon Warning Center had classified Hagupit as a super typhoon but downgraded it on Friday morning. It remains the strongest storm to hit the Philippines this year.
Meteorologists had said there was a chance Hagupit could veer north towards Japan and miss the Philippines altogether, but this scenario is increasingly seen as unlikely.
The Philippines gives its own names to typhoons once they move into Philippine waters, rather than using the international storm-naming system.
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A memorial walk took place in the Philippines on the anniversary of Typhoon Haiyan which ravaged central parts of the country a year ago.
Thousands of people marched through the city of Tacloban as sirens sounded and bells rang at the exact time the storm hit.
There were also anti-government protests at what some see as the slow pace of rebuilding.
President Benigno Aquino has denied moving too slowly. More than 7,000 people were killed in the disaster.
Typhoon Haiyan, known as Yolanda in the Philippines, hit on November 8 2013, sending huge storm swells into inland areas and destroying wide swathes of central Philippines.
More than four million people were displaced, many of whom are still living in temporary shelters.
Ceremonies were held on November 8 at mass graves in Tacloban where several thousand victims of the storm are buried.
Thousands marched by candlelight through the city at dawn, passing through areas devastated by the typhoon.
Gathering at the graves, mourners wrote names of loved ones on white crosses planted symbolically to represent unidentified victims.
More than four million people were displaced after typhoon Haiyan hit Tacloban in November 2013
“It’s important that we make it meaningful, so for the next generation’s people will remember this,” city mayor Alfred Romualdez said, quoted by Reuters news agency.
Hundreds also staged protests in the city and in the capital Manila at what they regard as a lack of progress in reconstruction.
The protesters burned an effigy of the president in the middle of Tacloban.
President Benigno Aquino has been accused of showing a lack of urgency in the reconstruction, with plans to find safe land away from the coast and build new homes falling behind schedule.
Benigno Aquino says the plan will take time.
“I would hope we can move even faster and I will push everybody to move even faster, but the sad reality is the scope of work you need to do can really not be done overnight,” said the president.
The president has decided not to come here to mark the anniversary, although he visited the typhoon-hit Eastern Samar province on November 7.
Tacloban is a stronghold of Benigno Aquino’s political enemies – it is the birthplace of former First Lady, Imelda Marcos.
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UK and US ships were heading to the Philippines as the UN appealed for aid amid the large-scale devastation caused by Typhoon Haiyan.
The US has deployed an aircraft carrier and navy ships to the Philippines, while the UK is sending a naval destroyer.
At least 10,000 people are feared to have been killed, and thousands of survivors desperately require aid.
Philippine President Benigno Aquino has declared a state of national calamity.
In a statement, Benigno Aquino said the two worst affected provinces, Leyte and Samar, had suffered massive destruction and loss of life.
A huge international relief effort is under way, but rescue workers have struggled to reach areas cut off since the storm.
UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon described images of the impact of the storm as “heartbreaking”.
The UN would launch a large-scale humanitarian plan, and allocate $25 million “to fund critical relief efforts”, Ban Ki-moon said.
“Many thousands of people are reported to have died and almost 10 million people have been affected… Let us all show our solidarity with the people of the Philippines at this time of need,” he added.
One of the most powerful storms on record to make landfall, Typhoon Haiyan – named “Yolanda” by Philippine authorities – struck the coastal provinces of Leyte and Samar on Friday.
Typhoon Haiyan then headed west, sweeping through six central Philippine islands.
Humanitarian aid needed at large scale after Typhoon Haiyan barreled through the Philippines over the weekend and killed an estimated 10,000 people
Air Force Capt Antonio Tamayo told AP news agency the scene in Tacloban, one of the worst-hit areas, was “overwhelming”.
“We need more medicine. We cannot give anti-tetanus vaccine shots because we have none.”
Officials said looting was widespread and order was proving difficult to enforce. Correspondents say many ordinary people are simply scavenging for the food and water needed to survive.
The government says it has deployed armored vehicles to Tacloban to deter looters.
“We are circulating [the vehicles] in the city to show the people, especially those with bad intentions, that the authorities have returned,” Interior Secretary Mar Roxas told DZMM radio.
In a statement, the US said that aircraft carrier USS George Washington and other navy ships should arrive in the Philippines “within 48-72 hours”.
“As needed, 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 statement said.
UK Prime Minister David Cameron announced that the Royal Navy destroyer HMS Darling would soon head to the disaster zone from Singapore.
It would take five days to arrive but once in the Philippines would bring engineering and first aid expertise, as well as the use of a Lynx helicopter.
Other countries have also pledged millions of dollars in assistance. Japan is providing $10 million and Australia $9 million in humanitarian aid, while New Zealand has pledged over $1.5 million.
Reports from Tacloban say soldiers have been distributing food and water to some residents and the US military has sent marines to the city.
A Philippine military spokesman was quoted as saying on Monday that 942 people had died in the typhoon’s aftermath, though it is clear the official death toll will rise significantly.
UN humanitarian official John Ging said: “Many places are strewn with dead bodies.”
“The first priority of response teams, once they were able to navigate their way into these areas, is to mobilize the burial of dead bodies because of the public health issues,” he said.
“As we get more and more access we find the tragedy of more and more people killed in this typhoon,” he added.
International aid:
- Australia: Aus$10 million ($9.4 million), including medical personnel
- China: $100,000
- European Commission: 3 million euros ($4 million)
- Indonesia: Aircraft, personnel, drinking water, food, generators, medicine
- Japan: $10 million, 25 emergency medical personnel
- New Zealand: NZ$2.15 million ($1.7 million)
- Taiwan: $200,000
- UK: £10 million ($15 million) non-food aid package
- UN: central emergency relief fund: $25 million
- US: At least 180 marines and sailors, transporter planes, emergency food, water, shelter and hygiene materials
- Vietnam: $100,000 [youtube Bq6xnwwvFAE 650]
President Benigno Aquino has declared a state of national calamity in Philippines in order to speed relief efforts for victims of Typhoon Haiyan.
In a statement, Benigno Aquino said the two worst affected provinces, Leyte and Samar, had suffered massive destruction and loss of life.
Thousands of survivors are still desperately waiting for the aid effort to reach them.
Up to 10,000 people are feared to have been killed.
Tacloban is one of the worst affected cities.
Hundreds of thousands more people have been displaced after the high winds and floodwaters destroyed their homes. Damage to roads and airports has delayed the delivery of aid.
One of the most powerful storms on record to make landfall, Typhoon Haiyan – named “Yolanda” by Filipino authorities – struck the coastal provinces of Leyte and Samar on Friday.
President Benigno Aquino has declared a state of national calamity in Philippines in order to speed relief efforts for victims of Typhoon Haiyan
It then headed west, sweeping through six central Philippine islands.
More than nine million people have been affected in the Philippines. Many are now struggling to survive without food, shelter or clean drinking water.
A huge international relief effort is under way, but rescue workers have struggled to reach some towns and villages cut off since the storm.
However, reports from Tacloban say that soldiers have been on the streets distributing food and water to some residents and the US military has sent marines to the city.
The head of the Philippine Red Cross, Richard Gordon, described the situation as “absolute bedlam”.
Jane Cocking, the humanitarian director for Oxfam, said her colleagues witnessed “complete devastation… entire parts of the coastline just disappeared”.
A Philippine military spokesman was quoted as saying on Monday that 942 people had died in the typhoon’s aftermath, though it is clear the official death toll will rise significantly.
Almost 630,000 people have been reported displaced.
Typhoon Haiyan’s aftermath in Philippines:
- The exposed easterly town of Guiuan, Samar province – population 40,000 – is said to be largely destroyed
- Tacloban, Leyte province, was largely flattened by a massive storm surge and scores of corpses are piled by the roadside, leaving a stench in the air as they rot, say correspondents. Hundreds of people have gathered at the airport desperate for food and water, others trying to get a flight out
- In the far north of Cebu province had shown some towns had suffered “80-90% damage”
- Baco, a city of 35,000 in Oriental Mindoro province, was 80% under water, the UN said.[youtube mAERAlp5bTk 650]
According to Philippine officials, around 10,000 people may have died in just one area hit by Typhoon Haiyan.
Typhoon Haiyan – one of the worst storms on record – destroyed homes, schools and an airport in the eastern city of Tacloban.
Neighboring Samar island was also badly affected, with reports of 300 people dead and 2,000 missing.
The Philippine government has so far only confirmed the deaths of 151 people throughout the country, but hundreds of thousands have been displaced.
Houses in Tacloban have been flattened by the massive storm surge that accompanied Typhoon Haiyan.
There’s no clean water, no electricity and very little food.
City officials said they were struggling to distribute aid and that looting was widespread.
The typhoon is now bearing down on Vietnam. More than 600,000 people have been evacuated in northern provinces.
At least four people were reported killed there, apparently while trying to escape the storm.
Typhoon Haiyan is expected to make landfall south of Hanoi on Monday afternoon local time, although it will have decreased markedly in strength.
Typhoon Haiyan, one of the worst storms on record, destroyed homes, schools and an airport in the eastern city of Tacloban
Philippine Interior Secretary Mar Roxas says the scale of the relief operation that is now required is overwhelming, with some places described as a wasteland of mud and debris.
“From a helicopter, you can see the extent of devastation. From the shore and moving a kilometre inland, there are no structures standing. It was like a tsunami,” he told Reuters news agency.
“I don’t know how to describe what I saw. It’s horrific.”
Tecson Lim, city administrator of Tacloban, told the Associated Press that the death toll in the city alone “could go up to 10,000”.
Police chief Elmer Soria said about 70% to 80% of the area in the path of the storm in Leyte province was destroyed.
He said most of the deaths were from drowning or collapsed buildings.
“Tacloban is totally destroyed. Some people are losing their minds from hunger or from losing their families,” high school teacher Andrew Pomeda told AFP news agency.
“People are becoming violent. They are looting business establishments, the malls, just to find food, rice and milk… I am afraid that in one week, people will be killing from hunger.”
Meanwhile Leo Dacaynos, an official in Eastern Samar province, told local radio 300 people had been found dead in a single town, Basey, with another 2,000 missing and many injured.
Communication is still limited in many areas.
The latest report from the Philippines’ Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council confirmed 151 deaths on Saturday. It said almost 480,000 people had been reported displaced.
Thousands of troops have been deployed to the disaster zones. However, rescuers are struggling to get to remote areas, hampered by debris and damaged roads.
Typhoon Haiyan – one of the most powerful storms on record to make landfall – swept through six central Philippine islands on Friday.
It brought sustained winds of 147mph, with gusts of 170 mph, with waves as high as 45ft, bringing up to 15.75 inches of rain in places.
The Pentagon has announced it is providing the Philippines with naval and aviation resources to help with humanitarian relief efforts.
In a statement, Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel said the US was delivering helicopters, fixed-wing aircraft and search and rescue equipment after a request from the Philippines government.
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