Desperation in Tacloban, city at eye of storm, as food and water run short

Already filled with despair at the soaring death toll from possibly the Philippines' worst recorded natural disaster, people in communities ravaged by Super Typhoon Haiyan are becoming increasingly desperate for food.

"People are walking like zombies looking for food," said Jenny Chu, a medical student in Leyte province. "It's like a movie."

On the outskirts of Tacloban, an eastern coastal city of 220,000 where tsunami-like waves destroyed many buildings, Edward Gualberto accidentally stepped on bodies as he raided the wreckage of a home.

Wearing nothing but a pair of red basketball trousers, the father-of-four and village councillor apologised for his shabby appearance and for stealing from the dead.

"I am a decent person. But if you have not eaten in three days, you do shameful things to survive," Gualberto said as he dug canned goods from the debris and flies swarmed over the bodies. "We have no food, we need water and other things to survive."

After half a day's work, he had filled a bag with an assortment of essentials including packs of spaghetti, cans of beer, detergent, soap, canned goods, biscuits and confectionery.

"This typhoon has stripped us of our dignity... but I still have my family and I am thankful for that."