Carrying few possessions and clutching bottles of coveted water they grimly walked across the tarmac of Cebu airfield.

These people are the lucky ones.

They have managed to escape the typhoon ravaged city of Tacloban in the central Philippines.

Now they must rebuild their lives from scratch, sleeping out of doors at this transit centre.

Hungry and with little more than the clothes on their backs, many survivors must rely on donations from aid groups.

This man had hoped to be reunited with his wife, daughter and mother-in-law -- instead he discovered their bodies. He still has two other children missing.

(SOUNDBITE) (Tagalog) 23-YEAR-OLD TYPHOON SURVIVOR, WALTER ALVAREZ, SAYING:

"When I got home from work at around 4:30 in the morning, the rain and wind were mild but getting stronger. I then transferred my family to my in-law's house so they could vacate the area. I went back to our house to clear our stuff but the wind suddenly got stronger. Co