Logging blamed for slides, high death toll

[pinktulips2012 1]

'Lucky Me' rations

Oxfam, a British charity, said supplies of food for relief efforts would run out in about two weeks.

“If we were not able to put in safe water in about three or four days, we are looking at a serious situation of disease breaking out. Already, diarrhea has started,” Lilian Mercado, Oxfam’s country manager, told Reuters.

Reuters

A father weeps as his son’s body is retrieved Friday in Real as landslides continued to devastate the area.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The military is handing out about four and a half pounds of rice, two tins of sardines and two packets of “Lucky Me” instant noodles for each family per day, but many survivors have no means of cooking the emergency rations.

Disaster officials said relief efforts will continue in the next 10 days before rehabilitation work begins. Nearly 98 percent of the areas hit by the disaster had been reached, including the tiny Polilio island in the Pacific Ocean.

“Nature has punished us severely,” said Jesus Pugay, a 62-year-old farmer in the town of Infanta. “Life here has been difficult. I don’t know how long we can survive this ordeal.”

The agriculture department said on Friday that $2.3 million worth of crops and fishery products were destroyed or damaged by the storms.

‘Phenomenal’ devastation

“The devastation is very phenomenal,” said Ricciardone, the U.S. ambassador, after landing at a local school where hundreds of people have taken shelter.

Lt. Col. Restituto Padilla, an air force spokesman, said 25 helicopters may be able to deliver over 15,000 pounds of relief goods as weather continued to improve.

A navy landing ship ferried heavy equipment and a coast guard hospital ship left Manila for the eastern coast to help in relief and clearing operations.

The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.