Typhoon Haiyan: Philippines death toll up as aid arrives
The BBC's Andrew Harding: "The very first encounter between storm and land. Not much of a contest"
The number of people in the Philippines confirmed dead from Typhoon Haiyan now stands at 3,621, officials say.
UN and local agencies have issued conflicting tolls, and the final figure is likely to rise still higher.
One week after the storm, food and supplies are now beginning to reach survivors, but aid agencies say the logistics of distribution are enormous.
The Philippine government has defended its response to the disaster, one of the strongest storms ever on land.
The latest death toll of 3,621 issued by the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council was up from the figure of 3,422 the interior secretary had given the BBC a few hours before.
The UN put the number of dead at 4,460. Officials said it was likely more bodies would be found as aid teams reached outlying areas.
'Desperate shortage'
Helicopters from a US aircraft carrier have been transporting supplies to the devastated town of Guiuan on the Pacific coast - the first to take the full force of the typhoon.
The carrier, USS George Washington, is expanding search-and-rescue operations and providing a platform for helicopters to move supplies.
Pallets loaded with food and water have been taken from the aircraft carrier to Tacloban, the capital of badly hit Leyte province, and Guiuan.
Aid is now getting through to some of the areas badly hit by the storm
St Joseph Church in the city of Tacloban was among the buildings damaged by Typhoon Haiyan
But with many roads and communication links destroyed, it has been difficult to make a full assessment of the impact
Helicopters from the aircraft carrier USS George Washington are now helping with the aid effort
However, the Philippine government says efforts to deliver aid are being hampered by a desperate shortage of trucks.
"In a situation like this, nothing is fast enough," said Interior Secretary Mar Roxas. "The need is massive, the need is immediate, and you can't reach everyone."
The emergency services themselves have been hard-hit: in the city of Tacloban, barely a quarter of the police force reported for work this week, BBC correspondents say.
The charity Medecins Sans Frontieres said workers who had visited Guiuan, in eastern Samar, described the situation faced by the 45,000 people there as "bleak".
Many of the dozens of bodies lying in the open since Typhoon Haiyan struck are now being cleared from the streets and buried.
Aid at a glance
Asian Development Bank: $500m (£312m) emergency loans and $23m in grants
Australia: A$30m ($28m, £17m) package, including aircraft, medical staff, shelter materials, water containers and hygiene kits
China: 10m yuan ($1.6m; £1m) in relief goods plus $200,000 (£120,000) from government and Red Cross
European Commission: $11m (£6.8m)
Indonesia: Logistical aid including aircraft, food, generators and medicine
Japan: $50m (£31m), including tents and blankets. Pledged up to 1,000 soldiers, 25-person medical team already sent
South Korea: $5m (£3.1m) plus a 40-strong medical team
UAE: $10m (£6.2m) in humanitarian aid
UK: $32m (£20m) aid package, sending aircraft carrier, destroyer and large transport aircraft
US: $20m (£12.4m) in humanitarian aid, 300 military personnel, aircraft carrier and other ships, military aircraft plus logistics support
This list is not comprehtensive
Despite the relief effort, thousands of survivors continued to line up at Tacloban's airport on Thursday trying to leave the city.
Many countries have pledged help in the shape of financial aid, relief supplies or emergency teams.
The UK government is sending the aircraft carrier HMS Illustrious, more than £20m ($32m) in aid, a team of medical experts and an RAF transport aircraft.
China - which is engaged in a territorial dispute with the Philippines - is sending 10m yuan ($1.6m; £1m) in relief goods.
Its initial pledge of $200,000 (£120,000) from the government and Chinese Red Cross combined drew criticism in US media, but was also condemned by some Chinese internet users as excessive.
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