The geometric expansion of the reported number of fatalities caused by super typhoon Haiyan (Yolanda) has alarmed Philippine President Benigno Aquino III that he has requested more prudence among media when it comes to publishing the number of dead people.

From 3 confirmed victims of the Category 5 Hurricane equivalent on Friday, the number of fatalities rose to 56 and then 100 and jumped to 12,000 based on reports of news agencies which actually counted corpses on streets as well as estimates from a Philippine Air Force officer.

Mr Aquino made the appeal for sobriety in reporting fatalities after he met on Sunday night with officials at the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRMMC).

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Official NDRMMC data released on Sunday night listed only 229 dead people, 45 injured and 28 missing. Number of affected families is at more than 2 million or almost 9.5 million people from more than 7,000 villages in 455 towns and 49 cities in 41 provinces.

Meanwhile, the government estimated the damage wrought by Haiyan at P138 million, broken down as P13.8 million worth of infrastructure and P124.7 million worth of agriculture. About 13,000 houses were destroyed and more than 6,000 damaged.

However, while these are official figures, the general consensus is that the numbers - especially the dead - could rise further because many areas are still disconnected and have not reported deaths and damage.

Meanwhile, several international agencies have signified their intent to provide humanitarian help to the storm-ravaged areas in the Philippines. These include the United Nations, World Food Programme, International Medical Corps and the U.S. Agency for International Development.

Pope Francis also offered on Sunday a prayer for the Philippines which he also tweeted. His message was: "I ask all of you to join me in prayer for the victims of Typhoon Haiyan/Yolanda especially those in the beloved islands of the Philippines."

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