The United Nations World Food Programme said on Monday it has allocated 2 million US Dollars towards the relief work in the Philippines. It said it would send more than 40 tonnes of high energy biscuits and work with the Philippine government to help with logistics and emergency communications systems, which remain the biggest challenge.

"The number of people who are feared dead runs into tens of thousands. What we know is that the people who are there now, who survived this disaster, need our help. The international community is mobilising. The biggest challenge, for us, the World Food Programme, and for the whole humanitarian community and the government, are the logistics. It's airports that are broken down, roads that are still covered in debris, things that are being cut off," Frances Kennedy, Spokesperson of World Food Programme, said.