UN puts Haiyan death toll at 4,460

The United Nations says around 4,500 people have lost their lives in Typhoon Haiyan that hit the Philippines, disputing figure announced by the national disaster council.

The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said on Friday that the regional taskforce of the Philippines National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) on Wednesday gave the number of 4,460.

“As of 13 November, the government reported that 4,460 people have died,” the OCHA stated.

Orla Fagan, the Manila-based spokeswoman for the OCHA, said that the figures were received “from the operations center of the regional taskforce set up by the NDRRMC.”

However, NDRRMC spokesman Reynaldo Balido said the official toll from the deadly storm that battered central Philippines on November 8 remained at 2,360, describing the UN statement as “Not true.”

Balido repeated that the NDRRMC released the figure of 2,360.

On November 12, Filipino President Benigno Aquino said death toll from Typhoon Haiyan was closer to 2,000 or 2,500 rather than the 10,000 previously estimated.

On Friday, US aircraft carrier USS George Washington sent mercy flights into Philippines, transporting food and supplies needed for survivors of the typhoon one week after the fatal disaster.

Japan also announced that it is tripling its emergency aid package for the Southeast Asian country to more over $30 million, as Tokyo is getting ready to deploy as many as 1,000 troops to help with relief efforts.

The Japanese Foreign Ministry said on Friday that it would give $30 million in emergency grant aid to the typhoon-struck Philippines, up from a previous $10 million while another $2 million worth of emergency relief goods and assistance is being delivered through Japanese non-governmental organizations.

The Philippines sees about 20 typhoons every year.