In the early morning of Friday, November 8, 2013, Typhoon Haiyan (known in the Philippines as Yolanda ), one of the strongest typhoons to strike land on record, slammed into the central Visayas region. Over a 16 hour period, the super typhoon or cyclone, with a force equivalent to a Category 5 hurricane and clouds that covered two-thirds of the country, directly swept through six Philippine provinces and affected over 10% of the nation's population of 105 million people. Haiyan's estimated wind speeds were 195 mph at its peak and 155 mph as it weakened and moved west, with wind gusts of up to 235 mph. Several hundred thousand people reportedly had fled their homes in advance of Haiyan's arrival. Many of those displaced were moved to evacuation centers. (See Figure 1 and Figure 2 .) The speed of the storm as well as advance warning prevented greater flooding and may have saved many lives. However, in some of the hardest hit areas, particularly in coastal communities in eastern and western Leyte province and the southern tip of Eastern Samar, there appears to have been little defense against Haiyan's wrath. Between two-thirds and 90% of structures were heavily damaged or destroyed, including medical facilities. Downed trees and other debris blocked roads. Airports, vital links to the rest of the archipelagic country, were damaged. Furthermore, decentralized government authority, a shortage of available government workers, looting, and heavy rains delayed some relief efforts. The typhoon was the deadliest natural disaster ever recorded in the Philippines. Within a few days of the typhoon, the Philippine government reported that an estimated 11.5 million people had been affected by the storm, with more than 540,000 displaced (of which roughly 380,000 were staying in 1,215 evacuation centers and 162,000 outside the centers). The government also reported that 792,000 people were evacuated in advance of the disaster. The city of Tacloban (population 220,000), capital of Leyte province, was one of the hardest hit places and the scene of the most concentrated destruction and death. Thousands of Tacloban residents reportedly drowned in a "two-story-high" storm surge, including people seeking safety in a sports stadium that served as a shelter. Many others were killed by flying debris. (See Figure 3 , Figure 4 , and Figure 5 .) The estimated number of dead and missing is often fluid and subject to change in the days, weeks, and months following a natural disaster, particularly one on the scale of Typhoon Haiyan (Yolanda). Two and a half months after the typhoon struck, based on figures provided by the Philippine government, the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reported that 14.1 million people had been affected, with more than 4.1 million displaced (as of mid-January 2014, 26,000 were staying in evacuation centers). Estimates of the number killed had risen to 6,201 with more than 1,785 missing. The number of injured was unknown. In addition, assessments revealed that nearly 5.6 million people required food assistance and an estimated 1.1 million houses had been damaged or destroyed. All numbers remain subject to revision. Steady population increases in disaster-prone areas, combined with a geography consisting of islands and poor infrastructure, make the Philippines vulnerable to humanitarian crises. An average of 20 major storms batter the country each year. In 2012, Typhoon Bopha (Pablo) struck the southern island of Mindanao, leaving nearly 2,000 people dead or missing. On the island of Bohol, a 7.1 magnitude earthquake in October 2013 displaced 350,000 people, many of whom resisted going to shelters as Haiyan approached, fearing that they might collapse in an aftershock. Until Haiyan, the country's most destructive typhoon was Tropical Storm Thelma (Uring) of 1991, which killed over 5,000 people in the Visayas region. According to many observers, U.S. support to the Philippines following the typhoon, including disaster assistance, expressions of sympathy, and a flurry of diplomatic activity, has bolstered the already strong bilateral relationship. Some Philippine leaders and political commentators argue that the U.S. military response to the disaster has strengthened the case for an enhanced U.S. military presence in the country, an issue that the two sides have been discussing intensively during the past few months (see " U.S.-Philippines Relations " below). Some analysts opine that the response of the United States has significantly boosted its soft power in the Philippines and the region, particularly in comparison to that of China. On November 10, 2013, President Obama made a statement expressing sympathy and support to the people of the Philippines. On November 21, the Senate expedited the confirmation of the new U.S. Ambassador to the Philippines, Philip Goldberg, so that he could help coordinate U.S. humanitarian assistance there. U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry travelled to the Philippines on December 17, 2013, where he met with President Benigno Aquino and visited the city of Tacloban. He announced $40 million in military assistance and $25 million in additional humanitarian aid (on top of roughly $60 million in disaster assistance already provided). Kerry had cancelled a trip to Manila in October 2013 due to tropical storm Nari. Members of Congress were among the first U.S. government officials to offer support. Representative Chris Smith led a congressional delegation to Leyte province on November 25, 2013. On November 19, the Subcommittee on East Asian and Pacific Affairs of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations held a hearing entitled "Assessing the Response to Typhoon Yolanda/Haiyan." The Subcommittee on Africa, Global Health, Global Human Rights, and International Organizations of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs conducted a hearing on the U.S. response on December 3. Members circulated "Dear Colleague" letters including those calling for assistance to remote areas affected by the disaster and protection for vulnerable Filipina women and children. U.S. legislators also sponsored resolutions expressing condolences, supporting assistance and charitable donations to the people of the Philippines, and urging the U.S. government to grant Temporary Protected Status to eligible Philippine nationals, which would allow them to stay and work in the United States and thereby support their families in storm-affected areas (see Textbox ). In general, experts divide relief operations into several phases: search and rescue; treatment and survival; relocation and rehabilitation; early recovery; and long-term reconstruction. As with any significant natural disaster that has many moving parts, it can take days and sometimes weeks to get a relief effort underway. Delays in transportation and congestion, lack of transportation infrastructure, bureaucratic problems, and lack of access all can cause bottlenecks at key points in the system. While timing is critical to save lives, a relief effort of this size requires the coordination of assessments and appropriate responses with the government, local communities, and the international community to function efficiently. The humanitarian relief operation, led by the Philippine government, was initially hampered by a number of significant challenges, not unusual in a disaster of this magnitude, including a general lack of transportation, extremely limited communications systems, and damaged infrastructure. Although aid personnel and humanitarian supplies arrived within days in many of the affected areas, there were challenges getting food and relief commodities to some of the more remote locations. Despite the physical and logistical challenges facing the relief effort, regular relief activities reportedly reached most of the worst-stricken areas within two weeks of the storm. In-depth assessments, necessary to obtain a better understanding of the situation on the ground, were conducted and are ongoing. Overall aid delivery to affected areas has been mobilized and sustained. By mid-December, a little more than one month after the typhoon struck, immediate, life-saving efforts in general began to shift more towards early recovery programming and the development of plans for longer-term recovery and reconstruction. However, affected areas were impacted by the heavy rains and strong winds associated with Tropical Depression Agaton from January 17-20, 2014. The impact of the storm exposed ongoing vulnerabilities of those affected by Typhoon Haiyan. The Philippine government plans and administers disaster relief primarily through the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Center (NDRRMC) and the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD). Other agencies involved in relief efforts include the Armed Forces of the Philippines, the Office of Civil Defense, and the Department of Health. The NDRRMC oversees activities along with Local Disaster Risk Reduction Management Councils (LDRRMCs), the DSWD, DSWD field offices, local governments, and other agencies. The DSWD and its field offices coordinate relief efforts on the ground. The NDRRMC also collaborates with private sector disaster management networks. The Department of Foreign Affairs serves as the first point of contact for countries and international organizations wishing to provide assistance. Taking the lead on the disaster response, the Philippine government formed a high-level national taskforce to ensure fast track transition from relief efforts to the rehabilitation and rebuilding of affected areas. President Aquino appointed Senator Ping Lacson as Presidential Assistant for Rehabilitation and Recovery, a cabinet-level position. In response to widespread fears about government corruption, the Aquino administration launched a web portal that allows the public to track international disaster funds, the Foreign Aid Transparency Hub (FAITH). The Philippine government launched a four-year Reconstruction Assistance in Yolanda (RAY) plan, on December 18, 2013. Requesting nearly $8.2 billion, RAY focuses on rebuilding areas affected by the typhoon and developing resilience to natural disasters.