Manila, Philippines -
Spearheaded by a huge US mobilisation, several foreign relief operations are active on the ground in the Philippines after Super Typhoon Haiyan left thousands dead or homeless.
A week after one of the strongest storms ever hit a belt of central Philippine islands, ships and planes from Asia-Pacific nations and Europe are converging on the country bearing food, water, medical supplies, tents and other essentials.
The international aid push comes as the UN admitted it had been too slow to reach the victims of the storm, with survivors still begging for help.
The United States, which used to rule the Philippines, is by far the greatest contributor to the effort, with an eight-strong aircraft carrier group led by the giant USS George Washington.
- Mercy flights from the George Washington, off the east coast of the island of Samar, were transporting food and supplies on Friday to the town of Guiuan, which was the first hit by the typhoon.
- US servicemen are also unloading aid at the airport in the shattered city of Tacloban.
- Eight MV-22 Ospreys (rotor planes that can take off and land like helicopters) have joined a team of Marines, who are equipped with amphibious vehicles and 12 cargo planes delivering food, water and other essentials.
- Up to eight more Ospreys are set to fly to Manila's international airport in the coming days.
- A further 1 000 Marines will join the effort, with 900 on board two US Navy amphibious ships (the Japan-based USS Germantown and USS Ashland) due to arrive in around six days. An additional 100 Marines from the same unit will travel to the region by aircraft.
- The two ships will bring heavy engineering equipment, amphibious assault vehicles, generators and portable water tanks.
- In other contributions, Britain is sending its largest naval ship, the helicopter carrier HMS Illustrious. Also from Britain, heavy transport planes carrying equipment such as 4X4 vehicles and forklift trucks have already arrived.
- Japan said on Friday that it was tripling its emergency aid package to more than $30-million and is preparing to send up to 1 000 troops to help with the relief effort, in what would be the country's biggest foreign deployment since World War 2.
- Australia has dispatched three C-130 Hercules transport aircraft. The amphibious landing vessel HMAS Tobruk is also being diverted to the Philippines.
- Other C-130s - a warhorse of relief operations the world over - are being deployed by countries including India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, New Zealand, Singapore, South Korea, Sweden, Taiwan and Thailand, as well as from UN agencies and private charities.
- Other military transporters and aid flights have arrived or are en route from Belgium, France, Italy, the Netherlands and Spain. - Sapa-AFP