More than four million people have been affected by two major typhoons that have hit the Philippines in quick succession over the past two weeks.

Typhoon Ketsana tore through the capital, Manila, and surrounding areas on 26 September, followed by Typhoon Parma a week later, which clipped the northernmost part of Luzon island. The first had claimed 288 lives by 4 October, while 16 people died as a result of the second typhoon, the Philippine government’s National Disaster Coordinating Council …