Even as thousands across the western islands of Philippines watch in despair the grim trail of destruction left by the Typhoon Haiyan and the fear and desperation of many is palpable as the Typhoon now makes a landfall in Vietnam today. 

The islands of Philippines are particularly susceptible to typhoons and Tsunami's and get their fair share of disasters . This time more than 10,000 are feared dead in Philippines and simultaneously 600,000 evacuated in Vietnam. The super typhoon Haiyan is one of the strongest storms ever recorded and it has reportedly destroyed around three-quarters of the area of Leyte province. The extent of the damage will most probably take many days to assess, and the count could rise significantly in the coming days, especially as the still-strong weather system heads across the South China Sea into Vietnam.

Death toll mounts to thousands in Philippines

Reports that are coming in describe the state of the survivors, walking around and scrounging for food from corpses. The grim reality of our very fragile life sets in and the sporadic and more than occasional wind storms and typhoons that are occurring more and more frequently remind us of the state the planet is in and also of its frequently changing weather pattern. 

At the request of the Philippines government the first wave of US Marines flew in on Sunday to assist in the rescue operations and to provide Humanitarian relief. Despite brave and continuous assistance from the marines reports are coming in from the Philippine National Red Cross saying that its search and rescue efforts in the wake of a deadly typhoon is being hampered by looters, including some who attacked trucks of food and other relief supplies the agency was shipping from a port city.

With rampant looting being reported, President Benigno Aquino III said on Sunday that he was considering declaring a state of emergency or martial law in the hard-hit city of Tacloban. The national disaster agency can recommend such a measure if the local government is unable to carry out its functions, Aquino said.

President Barack Obama said "Our thoughts and prayers go out to the millions of people affected by this devastating storm".

http://thelede.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/11/11/how-to-help-philippines-typhoon-victims/?hpw&rref=world&_r=0