UN, partners provide support as super typhoon hits Philippines

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UNITED NATIONS, Nov. 8 -- The United Nations and its partners in the Philippines are supporting the country in assessing the damage being caused by one of the strongest storms on record, a UN spokesperson said on Friday.

The UN Humanitarian Country Team and its partners have complemented the government's efforts by pre-positioning stocks to respond to the needs of those affected, said Farhan Haq, acting deputy UN spokesperson, at a daily briefing.

The government has taken preventative steps to save lives by moving people from coastal and low-lying areas prone to flash- flooding and landslides as Typhoon Haiya made landfall early Friday morning, Haq added.

The super typhoon, known locally as Yolanda, has ripped roofs off housing, uprooted trees and affected businesses, but the full extent of the damage will not be known until the storm has passed. Official figures showed three people have died and seven others injured.

It is one of the strongest storms ever recorded, with sustained winds of 295 kilometers per hour (kph), above the 252 kph threshold for a Category 5 hurricane, the highest category on the Saffir-Simpson hurricane wind scale, according to media reports.

The World Food Program estimates that 2.5 million people will require immediate assistance in the aftermath of the typhoon.

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