It was once a vibrant city, packed with neat rows of colourful homes surrounded by lush green parks.

But now all that remains is a husk of Tacloban; the place that so many called home is now a grey and barren wasteland after deadly Typhoon Haiyan hit the Philippines city, crushing everything in its way.

These heartbreaking aerial photos show how every corner of the city was torn up by the deadly storm.

The dead, decomposing and stinking, litter the streets of the city or are buried in the debris.

Most of the city is in ruins, a tangled mess of destroyed houses, cars and trees, as these pictures show. Malls, garages and shops have all been stripped of food and water by hungry residents.

The loss of life appears to be concentrated in Tacloban and surrounding areas, including a portion of Samar island that is separated from Leyte island by a strait. It is possible that other devastated areas are so isolated they have not yet been reached.

Desperately needed food, water and medical aid are only trickling into this city that took the worst blow from Typhoon Haiyan - five days after the deadly storm hit. 

Nearly a week after what could be the Philippines' deadliest disaster, aid is coming - pallets of supplies and teams of doctors are waiting to get into Tacloban.

But the challenges of delivering the assistance means few in the stricken city have received help.

Presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda said relief goods were getting into the city, and the supply should increase now that the airport and a bridge to the island were open.

'We are not going to leave one person behind - one living person behind,' he said. 'We will help, no matter how difficult, no matter how inaccessible.' 

The U.N. said it had released $25 million in emergency funds to pay for shelter materials and household items, and for assistance with the provision of health services, safe water supplies and sanitation facilities.

The USS George Washington is headed toward the region with massive amounts of water and food, but the Pentagon said the aircraft carrier won't arrive until Thursday. The U.S. also said it is providing $20 million in immediate aid.

Aid totaling tens of millions of dollars has been pledged by many other countries, including Japan, Australia and Britain, which is sending a Royal Navy vessel. 

'We need help. Nothing is happening. We haven't eaten since yesterday afternoon,' pleaded a weeping Aristone Balute, an 81-year-old woman who failed to get a flight out of Tacloban for Manila, the capital. 

'There is a huge amount that we need to do. We have not been able to get into the remote communities,' U.N. humanitarian chief Valerie Amos said in Manila, launching an appeal for $301 million to help the more than 11 million people estimated to be affected by the storm. 

'Even in Tacloban, because of the debris and the difficulties with logistics and so on, we have not been able to get in the level of supply that we would want to. We are going to do as much as we can to bring in more,' she said.