UPDATE 1 -- Typhoon Haiyan death toll tops 6,000 in the Philippines

[News_Editor]

MANILA, THE PHILIPPINES (BNO NEWS) -- The death toll from Typhoon Haiyan, one of the most powerful storms ever recorded when it made landfall in the central Philippines more than a month ago, has surpassed 6,000, the government said Saturday. Nearly 1,800 others remain missing.

The death toll from the disaster has continued to increase rapidly, with up to 30 bodies being recovered every single day. "As of 6:00 a.m., 6,033 individuals were reported dead, 27,468 injured and 1,779 are still missing," said Eduardo del Rosario, the Executive Director of the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC).

It is unclear how far the death toll could climb as some of the missing will be among unidentified bodies.

The news came as a senior United Nations (UN) official said humanitarian and early recovery needs remain great in the affected area. "[We have seen] great progress that has been made in providing people with food, shelter, and other critical assistance. But the needs remain enormous," said UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator Luiza Carvalho.

Corazon Soliman, Secretary of the Philippine Department of Social Welfare and Development, said the massive relief effort in the region has included the distribution of 3 million bags of food. "We are grateful for the solidarity and support donors have provided. We need this to continue," she said.

The storm, locally known as Yolanda, made landfall on Samar island in the early morning hours of November 8 before tearing a path of destruction through the Philippines. It made landfall with maximum sustained winds of up to 195 miles (313 kilometers) per hour, making it the strongest storm ever at landfall.

Haiyan destroyed nearly 589,000 houses and damaged hundreds of thousands more, forcing more than 3.9 million people from their homes, according to government figures. The city of Tacloban in Leyte province suffered a direct hit from the storm, which is now one of the country's deadliest natural disasters on record.

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[Scott]

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