Getting aid to the Philippines

The port city of Tacloban was the worst hit and a huge international relief is underway but rescue workers at the scene say that reaching areas affected by the storm is difficult.

The Philippines National Red Cross said its initial efforts were hampered by looters, including some who attacked trucks of food and other relief supplies it was shipping to Tacloban from the southern port of Davao.

US and British vessels are heading to the Philippines on the back of the relief appeal by made by the UN but may well have to deal with potential berthing and looting issues when they arrive.

The Philippines Port Authority has so far not come back to Port Strategy on how ports have fared through the crisis, but disruption is anticipated to be widespread which is certainly not going to help the aid effort.

PS has tried to get an update on terminal operations in the country. So far, a spokesperson from ICTSI has confirmed that all of its six terminals in the Philippines have not been affected by the typhoon.

But it’s understood that power and communications have been lost in the worst affected areas of the Leyte province, where Tacloban is the provincial capital, and in the Samar province.

It may be days before the final death toll is confirmed and the extent of the damage is fully known.