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The death toll continues to rise days after Typhoon Haiyan struck the eastern Philippine coast, but survivors are facing yet another challenge.

Surviving.

Though organizations are gathering medical supplies, food and water for the city of Tacloban, one of the worst-hit, debris and corpses have made the process of getting in or out difficult.

“There is a huge amount that we need to do. We have not been able to get into the remote communities,” U.N. humanitarian chief Valerie Amos said in Manila. “Even in Tacloban, because of the debris and the difficulties with logistics and so on, we have not been able to get in the level of supply that we would want to. We are going to do as much as we can to bring in more.”

Teams are arriving in Cebu Island with food and medical supplies, but they haven’t been able to get a flight to Tacloban.

“We are in contact with the authorities, but the (Tacloban) airport is only for the Philippines military use,” said Lee Pik Kwan.

And at the airport, the problem is getting out of Tacloban.

Thousands of people hoping for rescue camped at the airport and ran onto the tarmac when planes came in, surging past a broken iron fence and a few soldiers and police trying to control them. Only a few hundred made it aboard.

“We need help. Nothing is happening,” said Aristone Balute, an 81-year-old who didn’t get on a flight out of the city. “We haven’t eaten since yesterday afternoon.” Her clothes were soaked from the rain, and tears streamed down her face.

In the meantime, doctors in Tacloban are desperate for medicine. Over 1,000 people have swarmed a small makeshift clinic with shattered windows to be treated for cuts, lacerations and deep wounds.

And as the week goes on and survivors are going without access to clean water, food and shelter, the chances of people dying from their wounds or disease spreading is increasing — so will the death toll, already at an estimated 10,000.

Our prayers are with the Philippines at this time.

SOURCE: Huffington Post | PHOTO CREDIT: Getty