While serious logistical difficulties remain, the activities of MSF teams on the islands most affected by typhoon Haiyan are taking shape. With 137 international staff in the Philippines today, and the arrival of 232 tonnes of supplies, MSF teams continue to assess areas outside the main cities while providing immediate medical care in a growing number of locations. MSF is now active on the islands of Samar, Leyte, and Panay, and has most recently started assessing needs on Masbate. More staff are en route and further substantial cargo flights of relief items are also on their way.

Samar

MSF's emergency team in the far east of Samar Island, where the typhoon first struck, has started medical activities in Guiuan town. They performed 600 medical consultations on the first day of medical activities, mostly for infected wounds and lacerations. The MSF staff are working with two Filipino doctors and there are many people from the community who are volunteering to help in whatever way they can.

Half of Guiuan hospital is destroyed and the other half damaged almost beyond repair. For now the medical staff are working among the ruins, but work has started to set up a makeshift tent hospital. Thirty tonnes of material and supplies have reached the team in Guiuan. More cargo planes will be landing in the coming days, among them one with water and sanitation equipment and one with around 1,700 tents to distribute as shelter. More medical supplies will also arrive.

"In Guiuan town, every single roof has been blown off in a town of 45,000 inhabitants," says Dr Natasha Reyes, MSF emergency coordinator in the Philippines. "Half of the city's hospital has been destroyed - no roof, destroyed electricity equipment, etc. It used to be a 50-bed facility with X-Ray, Operating Theatres, everything. The wind destroyed the concrete."