Super typhoon leaves 4.460 dead in the Philippines, says UN.
Official figures, from the Philippine government, are almost double the last one released; survivors are desperate as the pace of aid distribution has been hampered by the shutdown of local governments, widespread looting, fuel shortages, and blocked roads.
By Stuart Grudgings
TACLOBAN, Philippines, (Reuters) A U.S. aircraft carrier began unloading water and food in the central Philippines devastated by Super Typhoon Haiyan, while the United Nations, citing government figures, said the storm killed 4.460 people, nearly double the latest official count.
Philippine President Benigno Aquino has faced increasing pressure to expedite the distribution of supplies and has reignited debate over the number of fatalities from the typhoon.
Aquino said the figure of 10.000 deaths estimated earlier this week by local authorities was exaggerated and caused by "emotional trauma." He stated that the number was closer to 2.000 or 2.500, adding that it could rise. His comments provoked skepticism among some humanitarian aid workers.
"As of November 13, the government reported that 4.460 people had died," stated the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs in its daily situation report, issued from Manila and dated November 14.
An official confirmed the death toll on Thursday at 2.357. It was unclear on Friday (local time), still very early in Manila, whether the government had publicly updated that number overnight.
Survivors are increasingly desperate and angry about the pace of aid distribution, which has been hampered by the paralysis of local governments, widespread looting, fuel shortages, and roads blocked by debris.
The dead are being buried a week after the storm and something resembling a tsunami struck coastal cities. Many bodies remain uncovered on roads or under collapsed houses in Tacloban, the hardest-hit city.
Foreign aid workers said this is an unprecedented disaster in the Philippines.
"There is devastation. People are desperate for food, water, shelter, supplies and information about their loved ones," UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon told reporters during a visit to Latvia on Thursday.
"We are doing everything possible to expedite assistance to those who need it. Now is the time for the international community to stand with the people of the Philippines."
The US aircraft carrier USS George Washington and other ships arrived Thursday night off the coast of the hard-hit eastern province of Samar with 5.000 crew members and more than 80 aircraft.
(Additional reporting by Rosemarie Francisco and Eric dela Cruz in Manila; Michelle Nichols at the UN; Phil Stewart in Washington; Greg Torode in Hong Kong; and Aija Krtaine in Latvia)