Don't despair, UN chief tells Filipino typhoon survivors
Ban Ki-moon told survivors not to lose hope as he toured Tacloban and surrounding areas, devastated by the storm
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon stepped up an appeal for funds to help the Philippines recover from a devastating typhoon last month after visiting stricken areas yesterday.
"I was very saddened by what I have seen in Tacloban - total destruction, and an enormous number of people have been lost, we need to support them," Ban said after driving miles past flattened and damaged houses.
Haiyan reduced almost everything in its path to rubble when it swept ashore in the central Philippines on November 8, killing at least 6,102 people, with nearly 1,800 missing, and four million either homeless or with damaged homes and damage put at US$12.9 billion.
The United Nations announced an appeal this week for US$800 million of funding to provide 12 months of assistance for 14 million people affected by Haiyan, the strongest typhoon to ever hit land. The funds would be used to provide access to food, shelter, water, health and sanitation services.
The call for funding was part of the highest UN annual appeal ever of US$12.9 billion for 2014, with more than half going to Syria and its neighbours.
So far, the United Nations has received only 30 per cent of targeted amount for the Philippines.