Typhoon-ravaged Tacloban sees first signs of international aid effort

While the World Food Programme was able to distribute rice to nearly 50,000 people in Tacloban on Wednesday, the agency said in its Twitter feed that the challenge was now "getting food from Manila to the people who need it most".

"The logistical challenges are still enormous given the scale of the disaster," said Alvaro Villanueva, of Action Against Hunger. "Access to the worst-affected areas is extremely difficult given the extent of the damage and the geography."