THE PHILIPPINES GOVERNMENT has confirmed that 1,079 people are missing after Typhoon Washi devastated Mindanao island on Saturday.

Previous estimates at the number of missing persons after the floods were as low as 51, reports the BBC. Authorities have conceded that is difficult to be completely accurate with the figures.

The death toll from one of the worst storms to strike the southern Philippines in decades has already reached 1,080.

The government has launched an appeal for humanitarian assistance for the victims of the storm. The Department of Foreign Affairs said there were 471,000 people-in-need as a result of Washi.

The government, in conjunction with the UN, wish to raise more than US$28 million.

For the moment, authorities are seeking assistance in providing non-food items such as kitchen utensils, blankets, sleeping mats, jerry cans, clothing, as well as temporary shelters. Water and sanitation items are also needed, including soap and latrines.

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More than 1,000 people still missing after Philippines floods

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