“The United States rushed assistance to the Philippines after a typhoon killed at least 10,000 people and will provide additional aid if it is needed, President Barack Obama said on Sunday,” Reuters reports (Mohammed/Stewart, 11/10). “The Obama administration made an initial $100,000 available Saturday [through USAID] to provide basic health care, clean water and sanitation following the Philippines government’s request for international assistance,” USA Today writes, noting, “That figure is likely to grow as damage and humanitarian needs are assessed” (Wolf, 11/10). “USAID said in a statement that it is sending a disaster assistance response team to assess the damage, determine the humanitarian needs and keep key players posted on what’s happening and what needs to happen next,” CNN adds (Botelho/Seaby, 11/9). “The U.S. Government is organizing emergency shipments of critically needed material to provide shelter to the hundreds of thousands of Filipinos driven from their homes by this unprecedented typhoon,” U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said in a statement, adding, “We are also organizing emergency shipments of food and hygiene supplies to thousands of families” (11/11).

“Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel has dispatched close to 100 Marines and sailors to help with relief efforts,” The Hill’s “DEFCON Hill” blog states (Shabad, 11/11). “The first wave of U.S. force  — a team of 90 Marines and sailors — flew to Philippines on Sunday to assist with search and rescue operations and provide air support, the Marines said in a statement,” according to NBC News’ “World News” blog (Bruton et al., 11/10). “In a statement issued by his spokesperson, [U.N.] Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said he was extremely concerned by the impact of the typhoon” and “thanked Member States for their prompt response and urged the international community to continue to show their solidarity with the people of the Philippines,” the U.N. News Centre reports (11/10). The Associated Press provides a list of “[o]ther governments and charities working to provide relief in the Philippines” (11/11).

Additional coverage is available from the Associated Press/Washington Post, CRIEnglish.com, The Guardian, The Hill’s “Global Affairs” blog, Reuters, and a UNICEF press release.