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Around the World

Women Survive Typhoon; Families Use News Cameras to Reach Outside World; Tacloban Road Littered With Debris, Bodies; Nations Aid Philippines; Fukushima Disaster

Aired November 12, 2013 - 12:30   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


PAULA HANCOCKS, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Jenelyn Manocsoc sat her son on her head to keep him above the water-level while she held onto the roof rafters.

JENELYN MANOCSOC, TYPHOON SURVIVOR: All I hear, many cry, many people crying, many people saying, "Help me! Help!"

HANCOCKS: She lost her husband and many other relatives.

MANOCSOC: No, I don't know where we go. (Inaudible) we can survive (inaudible). It's very traumatic. It's very hard.

HANCOCKS: Thousands are trying to take their children away from the devastation and the worsening security situation.

Jovelyn Dy had twin boys three weeks ago. She's too terrified to stay.

JOVELYN DY, TYPHOON SURVIVOR: We wake up, and there's some people inside our house, looters. And they could harm my children and us, as well.

HANCOCKS: But in the midst of all this pain, there was one ray of hope in this makeshift hospital.

(voice-over): A baby girl was born Monday in the most challenging of circumstances. Her mother, Emily Sagales, was brought in by neighbors.

Pregnant woman are currently evacuated to give birth, but Sagales was too close.

CAPTAIN ANTONIO TAMAYO, PHILIPPINE AIR FORCE: The baby came out and cried right away. There wasn't any problems so -- and there was no bleeding. So it was a perfect delivery in a very imperfect environment.

HANCOCKS: Once the baby was born, the entire hospital applauded, a baby named Bea Joy bringing relief in the midst of such intense human suffering.

Paula Hancocks, CNN, Tacloban in the Philippines.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MICHAEL HOLMES, CNN CO-ANCHOR: Plenty of acts of desperation, too, just to survive, taking food from grocery stores, also fuel from gas stations.

SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN CO-ANCHOR: People in the hard hit Tacloban are doing anything they can to survive as they wait for help and food.

Coming up, how the road through the city is littered now with debris, downed power lines, and of course, bodies.

HOLMES: What it takes to travel through that area, coming up next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MALVEAUX: The president of the Philippines now tells CNN that the death toll from Friday's monster typhoon, likely closer to 2,000 than 10,000, which was the initial estimate.

But victims' bodies are littering the streets. They are decomposing beneath mounds of rubble where homes and buildings once stood.

HOLMES: And that poses a big health risk, of course, going forward.

Desperate family members, meanwhile, are searching for loved ones, many survivors taking advantage of the only opportunity they have to communicate to their loved ones outside the Philippines, and that's through the lens of a news camera.

You'll have to read what they're saying here, but the despair is unmistakable.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (Untranslated foreign language),

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (Untranslated foreign language).

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (Untranslated foreign language).

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOLMES: Can you just imagine? That is the only way of letting your family know outside of the country is to tell a news crew.

I'm sorry, but you know, people are dead. Your family members are dead.

MALVEAUX: It's hard to watch.

HOLMES: That is the hardest video of the day to watch, that is for sure.

There's devastation, of course, all over the place. We haven't even talked about the idea of -- the damage to infrastructure, the notion of cleaning up or, heaven forbid, rebuilding.

The hardest hit area, Tacloban, Andrew Stevens is reporting from there since before the storm hit. And he has a look now at a problem hurting people's chances of getting the help they need, decimated roads. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANDREW STEVENS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Just to give you an idea of what's happening here, we're three days after the storm now. We are trying to get to the airport, which is 14 kilometers away.

Our driver was supposed to come today, but he hasn't turned up. We can only assume that he's got his own family issues to deal with, so basically, we're going to try and walk and get a lift on the way. There's still -- look down there. I mean, it's just devastation, isn't it? So just not far from the hotel, we have a -- it's a first aid clinic, basically. They've been treating about 244 people, minor injuries, but this is all now charity from local NGOs.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We're not going to the airport, but are you guys going there?

STEVENS: We need to go to the airport.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think we can ask.

STEVENS: I think we could be lucky.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This pickup is going to the airport.

STEVEN: OK. So off to the airport 14 kilometers to go. Hopefully, it should be a fairly clear road. We are so thankful to these guys for helping us.

Where are you coming from?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We're coming from Dicul.

STEVENS: Why did you leave Dicul?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: To find our brother, (inaudible).

STEVENS: Looting this may be, but it's also for the common cause. Gas is incredibly scarce now in this whole region, and transport is very, very important. It's also incredibly dangerous what they're doing here.

This is one of the national highways which links Tacloban with the rest of the Philippines. It's a key. It's a lifeline now, as supplies that need to be moved into the city. Clearing, it is a priority.

See here, the tangled lines, now being taken out of the side of the road.

As we continue down the road, more and more people we pass are covering their noses and mouths. The reason soon becomes apparent, dead bodies on the side of the road.

And the traffic clogs again, inching its way through devastation on both sides of this highway.

Our trip takes about four hours in all, and not once did we see any sign of relief supplies heading by road into this shattered city.

Andrew Stevens, CNN, Tacloban City, Central Philippines.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MALVEAUX: The U.S. is now pledging $20 million in aid, and up next, we're going to show you what other countries around the world are doing to help out in the Philippines.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HOLMES: Let's talk a little bit now about international aid to those suffering in the Philippines.

Let's talk about the United States, first of all, pledging $20 million in aid. It is, of course, as we have reported, sending an aircraft carrier group to the Philippines, as well.

And that's on top of the hundreds of U.S. troops already sent to the Tacloban, a lot of Marines there, seven American military planes deployed to remote disaster zones, helping out.

Now, more than two dozen countries in all are providing aid. Let's come down here. Have a look at Australia. Now per capita, Australia is perhaps the biggest one pledging, $10 million so far. They have also deployed an emergency medical team.

Also over here, we'll talk about Japan for the moment. They're sending a 25-member relief team, most of them medical experts but also some search and rescue teams, as well.

The United Kingdom, they're involved, as well. They're pledging $16 million. Also, they're sending one of their naval ships from the Royal Navy. Also a plane going in from the Royal Air Force.

And then also the European Union, as a body, is pledging $4 million also. Several individual E.U. countries sending medical personnel and search and rescue teams. Also the United Nations has launched an appeal for $300 million from its members.

Notably, before we finish this, China getting a bit of criticism. They've been in a long-term dispute, a land dispute, with the Philippines. And guess what? They're only giving $100,000. Criticism about that, Suzanne.

SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN ANCHOR: And the Philippine government says that 2 million people, 2 million, if you can believe that, they need food, they need water. The crisis likely to get a lot worse before it gets better. And another storm and an earthquake have hit since Friday's super typhoon. That is further complicating, as you can imagine, the relief efforts on the ground there.

So if this moves you, if you can and you're willing to do something to help these people who are impacted by the storm, I want you to do this. Check out our website. See how you can help. See what you can do at cnn.com/impact. And coming up, Sarah Palin dishing on being a woman in many politics and even has some advice for Hillary Clinton.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MALVEAUX: Well, just about an hour ago, our own Jake Tapper spoke with former Alaska governor and former Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin. And she's got some advice for women in politics and also those who are considering a possible presidential run in 2016.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JAKE TAPPER, HOST, CNN'S "THE LEAD": So I know you're not -- you wouldn't vote for Hillary Clinton if she ran for president, but I remember in '08 after you got the nod, you talked about the unfair media treatment that Hillary Clinton got when she was running for president.

SARAH PALIN, FORMER VICE PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Yes. Yes.

TAPPER: And you probably feel like you got some of that unfair media treatment, as well -- sexism. What -- if there's any woman out there thinking of running for president, what can she expect?

PALIN: She could expect that sexism, but you overcome it. You know, you ignore it. You didn't -- thicken your skin and you march forth with your message, your priorities, your agenda that you believe is right for America. Yes, Hillary Clinton was mistreated when it came to appearances, when it came to wardrobe, you know, petty, superficial things that the men don't ever seem to hear much about, but a woman candidate will.

TAPPER: Governor Christie hears about his appearance.

PALIN: Well, that's because it's been extreme. OK, so it's hard to -- it's hard for some people not to comment on it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOLMES: And you can watch Jake Tapper's full interview with Sarah Palin. That's tonight, 4:00 p.m. Eastern, right here on CNN.

MALVEAUX: You're going to want to see that, a little bit more of that.

Now, the threat of radiation forcing thousands of people from their homes. It's been two and a half years since a tsunami crippled the nuclear power plant in Japan.

HOLMES: And now we are learning many of those who were evacuated may never return home. That's next on AROUND THE WORLD.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HOLMES: He's in the news again, Toronto's embattled mayor making his first official appearance since he admitted smoking crack cocaine. It didn't go all that well, actually. Listen to the crowd after Rob Ford was introduced before a speech on Canada's Remembrance Day, what we in the U.S. call Veterans Day.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I would like to invite to the podium, his worship, Mayor Rob Ford.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOLMES: Even in a solemn ceremony like that, you could hear the boos, virtually no applause at all. Ford, of course, has refused to step down. The city council doesn't have the power to throw him out.

MALVEAUX: When it comes to women's rights, a new poll finds that Egypt is the worst country in the Arab world. We are talking about the Thomson Reuters Foundation surveyed more than 300 gender experts throughout 22 Arab League states. So here's what they found. The group decided Egypt was the worst for women. Iraq came in second, followed by Saudi Arabia, Syria, and Yemen. Now, the study looks at sexual harassment, female genitalia mutilation, and the growth of conservative Islamic groups.

HOLMES: Now, on the heels of the disaster in the Philippines, we're now learning that people who live near the Fukushima nuclear plant in Japan may not ever be able to return home.

MALVEAUX: The earthquake and tsunami of 2011 caused a major meltdown at the plant. Thousands of people who lived nearby were forced to evacuate because of the threat of radiation.

And I want to bring in our Chad Myers to explain, what is the danger there and why is it that they can't return?

CHAD MYERS, AMS METEOROLOGIST: I think this is the worst kept secret in science, to be really honest. They - I - the Tepco - they're finally -- these authorities are finally saying, you know what, we're never going to get this fixed good enough for you to get home. We wanted to get down to one microsievert per year, which is twice the radiation of Denver. And all of us -- you're still getting 20, 30, 50 milisieverts everywhere else.

So it's going to take a long time. You know, these half lives of some of these things are half - 100 years, 300 years, 1,000 years. It's going to take a very, very long time. And, plus, there are 160,000 people that are not in their home. There's a lot of them in temporary housing. Some are living with relatives. They finally said, you know what? Just buy us something else. Give us someplace else to live. We're tired of living in these temporary trailers, essentially, and so now they finally have decided that, yes, you know what, two and a half years is enough. We haven't made enough progress. We're not going to get there in five years. It's time.

HOLMES: It's not surprising, really, is it?

MYERS: No. HOLMES: I mean I'm not even surprised to hear this. There's people still not living at Chernobyl.

MYERS: Of course. And there's no infrastructure. Even if they send them back to the towns, everything got wiped out by the tsunami too as well, you know, so there's just nothing for them to go back to. Finally they said, you know what, let's just -- enough's enough. Two and a half years is no longer temporary. Let's find something permanent.

MALVEAUX: Are there some people who are close by who are living there who are still in danger?

MYERS: They're 12 miles away. I think they're OK.

HOLMES: Yes.

MYERS: They have the evacuation zone is the size of Hong Kong.

HOLMES: Wow. Really?

MALVEAUX: Geez.

HOLMES: Yes, that puts it into perspective. Yes.

All right, Chad, appreciate it.

MALVEAUX: Thank you, Chad.

HOLMES: Thanks so much.

MYERS: You're welcome.

HOLMES: Chad Myers there.

MALVEAUX: And thank you for watching AROUND THE WORLD. CNN NEWSROOM starts right now.

HOLMES: See you tomorrow.

WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: Right now, new video emerging of former President Bill Clinton. He says President Obama needs to make things right with people who can't keep their current health care plans as he had promised.

And right now, the Justice Department says American Airlines and U.S. Airways can indeed merge, provided they take some steps designed to help their low cost competitors. What will it take to create the world's biggest carrier?

And right now, a ticking time bomb in the Philippines. People are desperately waiting for food and clean water. But in the middle of the standing water and the dead bodies, there is the threat of even deadlier outbreaks of disease.