Israel sends typhoon relief mission to Philippines

The Israeli army dispatched a mission to the Philippines on Wednesday to provide humanitarian assistance to victims of Typhoon Haiyan, a military spokeswoman said. The mission consists of 148 specialists who will provide medical as well search-and-rescue services in Tacloban, the Philippine city worst hit by last week's deadly storm. According to United Nations estimates, 10,000 people may have died in Tacloban alone, where five-meter (16-foot) waves flattened nearly everything in their path as they swept hundreds of meters (yards) across the low-lying land. "An advanced multi-department medical facility, equipped with approximately 100 tons of humanitarian and medical supplies from Israel, will be rapidly established in the city of Tacloban to provide medical care for disaster casualties," a military statement said. Nearly 10 million people, or 10 percent of the Philippines' population, have been affected, while 660,000 have lost their homes, according to a U.N. estimate.