While western aid focuses on Tacloban and neighboring areas due to the presence of foreign media correspondents in those areas, we are getting reports from various other places that were also hard hit and not covered by the media. Here is an email of distress we received from one local pastor:

The whole world knows what happened to our country especially in Visayas area.  Super typhoon hits our country last week & totally devastated (100%) Leyte, Tacloban & some neighboring towns & provinces. And Foreign aids focused in these areas.  However, my province Iloilo, especially southern parts such us Banate, Barotac Veijo, Ajuy & going up was 90% destroyed! Last Friday, my local Church extend small amount of help to our church members who are partially damaged living sea side.  As of now, I am not feeling well.  Yesterday we went to the southern parts of Iloilo province and we see how terrible the damaged. In fact, there is one Island was 100% destroyed.

In the hardest hit areas around Tacloban in Leyte, there are a lot of supplies and people waiting to get access to the area. But this may take some time for the military to restore the infrastructure so that planes and trucks can get in. Once refugee camps, medical dispensaries, and feeding operations are setup, we will have people in place to work long-term in helping these people rebuild their lives. Please contribute what you can through our partner organization Christian Aid.