World Vision Australia CEO Tim Costello, who met with Australian Ambassador Bill Tweddell in Manila today, said the Government had made a great start committing $10 million for relief efforts but it was now apparent that is going to be a race against the clock to get even basic supplies into the worst affected areas.
The United Nations says relief efforts following the super typhoon will cost at least $323 million.
"The Australian government has a proud history of responding to natural disasters in our region, and from what I've seen the region desperately needs them to do so again now.
"The devastation is massive. Everyone has heard that Tacloban is bad but there are so many other islands that we know must be just as bad but no one has been able to get to them yet."
Mr Costello said the catastrophic loss of infrastructure such as bridges and roads combined with the Philippines geography – an archipelago of scattered small islands – has meant aid agencies have faced major constraints in carrying out widespread distribution of relief supplies.
He urged the Australian Government to directly fund NGOs already on the ground in order to speed up the distribution of basic supplies, and avert further loss of life and a deteriorating security situation.
"People are still desperate for the very basics; for food, for water and for shelter," he said. "I ask myself how can we get relief to people faster? The answer has got to be the speed and flexibility of NGOs."
Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop announced Monday that the Government was committing $10 million towards emergency relief efforts but of that only $3 million is being shared by six Australian implementing NGOs, leaving each agency with $500,000 each. The remainder of the funding went to the United Nations, Red Cross, and food.
Mr Costello said this was a good start, but not enough to enable individual agencies to attempt the scale of effort required to push out urgent supplies in time to help those most affected.
"There needs to be a massive push by those of us already on the ground to get these supplies out in the next few days, but to do that we need a greater commitment from the Australian Government on extra and immediate funding."
"The Government needs to recognise that ordinary Australians urgently want us to help those affected by this devastating event. Our leaders need to follow the example of the general public's effort."
Mr Costello said the overwhelming generosity and speed with which ordinary Australians had responded to World Vision's emergency appeal for the Philippines was humbling.
"We have already received donations from the public of more than $1 million since launching the Typhoon Haiyan appeal over the weekend, which is quite an amazing response."
World Vision has being operating in the Philippines for nearly 60 years and has a current staff of more than 400. It is hoping to carry out its first major distribution of relief supplies tomorrow following the arrival of three World Vision cargo flights.
To donate to the World Vision Australia's Typhoon Haiyan Appeal go to www.worldvision.com.au