Doctors struggle to reach city of corpses

The day after the typhoon struck, a team of 15 doctors and logistics experts was ready to fly to the worst-hit city to help.

Five days into what could be the country’s deadliest disaster, they were still waiting to leave.

A team from Médecins Sans Frontières, complete with medical supplies, arrived on Cebu Island on Saturday looking for a flight to Tacloban, but had not yet left.

A spokesman said it was “difficult to tell” when they would be able to leave.

“We are in contact with the authorities, but the (Tacloban) airport is only for the Philippines military use,” said Lee Pik Kwan.

Meanwhile, thousands of people hoping for rescue camped at Tacloban Airport and ran on to the tarmac when planes came in, surging past a broken iron fence and a few soldiers and police trying to control them. Only a few hundred made it aboard.

“We need help. Nothing is happening,” said Aristone Balute, an 81-year-old who did not get on a flight out of the city. “We haven’t eaten since yesterday afternoon.”

An Associated Press reporter drove through the town for around four miles, seeing more than 40 bodies. He saw no evidence of any organised delivery of food, water or medical supplies, though piles of aid have begun to arrive at the airport. Some people were lining up to get water from a hose, presumably from the city supply.

“There is a huge amount that we need to do. We have not been able to get into the remote communities,” UN humanitarian chief Valerie Amos said in Manila. “Even in Tacloban, because of the debris and the difficulties with logistics and so on, we have not been able to get in the level of supply that we would want to. We are going to do as much as we can to bring in more.”

Presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda said relief goods were getting into the city, and the supply should increase in coming days now that the airport and a bridge to the island were open.

“We are not going to leave one person behind – one living person behind,” he said. “We will help, no matter how difficult, no matter how inaccessible.”

Doctors in Tacloban said they were desperate for medicine. Beside the ruined airport tower, at a small makeshift clinic with shattered windows, army and air force medics said they had treated around 1,000 people for cuts, bruises, lacerations and deep wounds.

“It’s overwhelming,” said Air Force Capt. Antonio Tamayo. “We need more medicine.”