On 8 November 2013, Typhoon Haiyan reached the Philippines — the world's strongest recorded typhoon at landfall. Seven provinces were affected, particularly Leyte and its capital, Tacloban. The death toll stands at 6300 people, with 28 689 injured and more than 16 million people affected.1 The Philippines ranks third globally in terms of disaster risk and is regularly visited by typhoons. However, Haiyan was a storm of unprecedented intensity and broad sweep over highly populated areas. Much of the public and private health infrastructure was seriously damaged, and in Tacloban only one public hospital remained partially functional.2
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