Philippines declares state of national calamity post Typhoon Haiyan

The Philippines has declared a state of national calamity following the devastation caused by the strongest storm on record Typhoon Haiyan that hit the central islands last Friday.

President Benigno Aquino said that the step had been taken to allow the military and civil authorities to speed up the relief process for the victims, the BBC reports.

Aquino said it's likely that at least 10,000 people have been killed in the two worst affected provinces, Leyte and Samar, which have suffered massive destruction.

Although thousands of survivors are still waiting for basic facilities, like food, shelter and clean drinking water, to reach them, damaged roads and airports has delayed the timely delivery of aid.

Tacloban is one of the worst affected cities, where thousands of people have been displaced after the high winds and floodwaters destroyed their homes, the report added.

Meanwhile, the United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said that the UN would launch a large-scale humanitarian plan for helping the victims in Philippines.

Typhoon Haiyan, which has been named "Yolanda" by Philippine authorities, struck the coastal provinces of Leyte and Samar last Friday, and then headed west, sweeping through six central Philippine islands.

The storm brought sustained winds of 235 kilometer per hour, with gusts of 275 kilometer per hour and waves as high as 15 meters.

More than nine million people have been affected in the Philippines by the storm, the report added.