Philippine typhoon survivors still struggling: Red Cross

Terra Daily via AFP: Tens of thousands of Philippine survivors of Super Typhoon Haiyan face long-term problems finding permanent homes and jobs half a year after the disaster, the Red Cross said Monday. Although immediate concerns over food, water and medical care have been addressed, it would take longer to meet other needs, said officials of both the Philippine and international Red Cross.

"Up to this day, we can still hear the echoes of the suffering, the cries for help," said Gwendolyn Pang, secretary-general of the Philippine Red Cross. Haiyan, the strongest typhoon ever to make landfall, hit the central Philippines on November 8 last year, leaving 6,293 dead, 1,061 missing and about 4.1 million people displaced, Red Cross figures showed.

An international humanitarian effort ensured that the supply of food, water and medical services was stabilising in affected areas, but Pang said more than 8,000 families whose homes were destroyed were still huddling in evacuation centres.

"We know the recovery will be a long road. It could take several years," said Marcel Fortier, the head of delegation in the Philippines for the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies....

Typhoon Haiyan approaching the Philippines in November 2013, NASA image