Rescuers in the Philippines battled to deliver emergency aid to areas ravaged by Super Typhoon Haiyan, which may have killed more than 10,000 people, as blocked roads and constant rainfall hampered relief efforts.
The desperation among survivors in Tacloban city, the capital of Leyte province that bore the brunt of the typhoon’s gale force winds, led Philippine President Benigno Aquino to declare a state of emergency and plead with locals to be patient. While airports reopened, food and other aid was held up by roads that were washed away or covered in debris.
A follow-on storm, Zoraida, was downgraded to a low-pressure area, the Philippine weather bureau said on its website, as areas in central and southern Philippines continued to be lashed by moderate to heavy rain.