PD Editorial: Relief in sight but still distant

Six days after being hit by one of the worst typhoons on record, the desperation of hundreds of thousands left without housing, food and water in the Philippines grows worse. And it's starting to contribute to the death toll.

According to the National Food Authority, eight people were crushed to death Tuesday on Leyte Island when a wall collapsed as thousands of people rushed for a rice warehouse.

In other areas, authorities report malls, stores and homes have been looted, stripped of all food, water and anything else that could be carted away.

The New York Times reported that an attempted hijacking of a relief convoy around 20 miles south of ravaged Tacloban was forced to halt. By late Tuesday, the roads were still considered too unsafe to allow the convoy to continue to Tacloban, which was almost completely destroyed by Friday's super typhoon Haiyan.

Concerns about safety of relief workers as well as logistical complications of reaching hard-hit areas has made the relief effort a nightmare.

"There is a huge amount that we need to do," United Nations humanitarian chief Valerie Amos told reporters. "We have not been able to get into the remote communities." Amos launched an appeal for $301 million to help the roughly 11 million people who have been displaced or are in need of provisions.

But problems with the relief effort exist on this side of the Pacific Ocean as well. Officials are warning people to be wary of online appeals for money for typhoon victims as there are numerous Internet scams going on by those seeking to take advantage of this crisis.

We encourage readers to show their support by contributing to reliable relief agencies, such as:

; The United Nations World Food Program through its web site: wfpusa.org. To instantly donate $10, just text the word AID to 27722.

; UNICEF at unicef.org/support.

; The American Red Cross by calling (800)RED-CROSS or going to redcross.org. To donate $10, text REDCROSS to 90999. Donations also can be mailed to American Red Cross Sonoma, Mendocino & Lake Counties, 5297 Aero Drive, Santa Rosa 95403. If desired, please note that it is for typhoon relief.