. aid reaches devastated islands - the scale of the disaster starts to become clear. >> this is al jazeera live from doha. also ahead - russia's prime minister tells sri lanka to investigate allegations of war crimes for face an international inquiry. >> libya under pressure to deal with militias after dozens of protesters are shot dead in tripoli. >> china relaxes a one-child

policy. but can parents afford to have more than one baby? >> the u.n. says the aid effort is turning a corner in the philippines. aid groups are warning of major challenges in reaching remote island communities. the united nations distributed food to more than 170,000 people in tacloban. many bodies and dead animals are polluting water supply, creating perfect conditions for diseases such as tif i had and collera. craig leeson travels to an island off the northern tip of cebu. >> early morning light filters on to the deck of the "mg gemini 6", it fails to wake the crew. they've been up most of the might loading to bring aid to an island off the northern tip of

cebu. it was one of a dozen to be desmated by typhoon haiyan. >> i can only imagine who people have been going through - hunger, devastation, fear in their eyes. >> the cebu based rapid response team, a group helping with disaster relief, says 95% was wiped out in the storm - all but forgotten until now. many here have been without food, clean water and medical services for a week. the roads have just been cleared. even then, bringing in aid is hazardous. >> he completely hit the powerline. as you can see, this is part of the reason that this is a dangerous trip for these guys to make. we are on a truck taking rise to santa fe, it's not live is it? hang on.

whoo. something like that could take your head off. the guys are making this trip on a daily basis. they have just come in with the aid and are trying to get it down to santa fe. it's dangerous. there's not one house or powerline that hasn't been effected by the typhoon. >> the seaside resort village of santa fe was the last to receive aid. as we arrived we were confronted with sheer hunger. >> as day turned to night, more people came, more hungry mouths to feed. women, children, old, the young, the desperate. >> we need water and food. we need help. >> more aid is on its way. international ngos are planning convoys of supplies. for now this is all they have. >> we'll return tomorrow, giving the goods - one more day,

tomorrow. >> it has been chaotic. as a matter of fact it's survival of the fittest. they want to eat. >> less than 20 people were killed on the island. it escaped the tidal surge that drowned many on leyte island. the power of the wind was evident everywhere. a favourite of mainland e there was almost nothing left of the beachside resort. the boats were damaged, vegetable crops destroyed. for now, there's little the islandsers can go except wait for the aid. >> let's go the correspondent in cebu. she is at one of the main aid distribution centers. is the aid reaching more remote areas of the philippines? >> well, there's a lot of

activity at the cebu airport field. a number of planes are coming in from all over the world. we had air force planes leaving for one of the worst hit areas in tacloban. it has taken them seven days to speed up the operation. a lot of questions are asked why did it take a long time. it seems the government in the philippines as underestimated the scope of the disaster. and have been struggling to reach the hard-hit areas. i could clearly see that the magnitude of this disaster is similar to what i have seen after the indian ocean tsunamis. the scope of the disaster then in indonesia, sri lanka is similar to the philippines, and the difference is that a very fast, rapid response reaction was needed. there was a lot of international

aid groups, military from the u.s. so many in a few days. here we see this happening now, a week later. the question is why? is it an underestimation? >> and, steph, we know that president benigno aquino has taken control of the relief operation. has that made a difference in the speeding up of getting relief, getting aid to people? >> i think the government initially thought they could handle it. they thought they could deal with this. a few days into the dasser they realised it was a different scope, a different magnitude altogether. now it seems things are moving in faster. coordination is better, goods are going to go, but we have the

next problem. when i visited yesterday i could feel a lot of frustration of survivors. they said, "we need all the aid goods to be given to us, not the government, because then we won't get it at all." there's a lot of frustration towards the government altogether among the survivors of the disaster. >> thank you very much for that update. steph joining us from cebu airport. >> to other news - british prime minister david cameron gave sri lanka's government until march to investigate alleged human rights abuses dating back to its civil war. david cameron, attending a summit of commonwealth leaders became the first foreign leader to visit the north of the country. he met displaced civilians living in camps four years after the war ended. talks were held with the sri lankan president, and it's vital

investigations are vetted. >> it means transprnt and independent investigations into war crimes. let me be clear. if that is not completed by march, i'll use our position on the u.n. human rights council to work with the u.n. human rights commissioner and call for an international inquiry. >> our correspondent is live in colombo for us. what is the reaction to david cameron's call in sri lanka. does it have wait at all. >> yes, hi there. we had some reaction - some factions within the president's government rejecting the calls for an independent investigation. the water and irrigation minister - senior cabinet minister - silva says, "we will resist an international inquiry,

we don't think there's a reason for an intrngsal inquiry." this is a -- international inquiry", that is a minister in the government. he's on the side of not having an investigation into the allegations of human rights abuses carried out by the sri lankan government and military at the end of the country's 26-year long civil war in 2009. now, earlier we spoke with the economic development minister and brother of the prt. he said to us that frankly the world community is misguided. he's saying that the victims of that conflicts, are, frankly, the buddhist majority. here is what he said. >> where civilians were killed,

trains, religious bases. i am really grate of the to the pm of the uk. and also i saw the parliament air yawn was walking with him, but both had the chance, because of what, the president bringing peace? >> allegations of what happened - are they overshadowing the meeting. what else is on the agenda here? >> well, the sri lankan government, which is keen to host the summit, and, indeed, to be the chair of the commonwealth for the next two years - they wanted to invite the world -

invite the leaders of commonwealth countries to a country they say is experiencing a revival. that the economy of this country is proof that sri lanka is an emerging economy, a nation where investment is something that global economies should look towards. frankly, that has been completely overshadowed by the allegations of human rights abuses and the sri lankan government is sensitive to the allegations. as we have been saying earlier, the u.k. prime minister david cameron giving the president six months to have this independent inquiry into what happened in the time stages of the civil war. some factions of the government refusing or saying they'll resist calls for an investigation. >> that was from the commonwealth heads of government meeting if columbo. >> now, as many as 32 people have been killed and more than 200 injured after fighting between armed groups and

protesters in libya. the libyan government called for a ceasefire and says it's working to disarm the militia groups. >> the message of the march was simple - get out. people heeded the calls and demanded militia groups left the capital tripoli. at the headquarters, the misrata brigade were met by bullets. several were killed, others injured. >> i saw scenes of chaos in front of the hospital with lots of military, armed men, diverting traffic. the same thing was the same in the hospital, where i saw a lot of armed men running around. overwhelmed. what happened today was unprecedented. >> in weeks rival armed groups had been fighting with each other. this is the first time civilians

had become the targets. >> they started shooting. look, this is the blood of libyans. i say to the general national congress, "you traitors", where is the army, where is the police. >> that reflects a frustration with the central government, struggling to maintain the militia. they refused to desband or join the national security force. >> >> translation: the departure of militias is necessary and urgent. it's not open for discussion. >> the militias began as local groups, fighting and overthrowing muammar gaddafi. two years after the uprising they have grown in size and influence over a weak government. once hailed as heroes, they have become the reason many libyans say their country is so lawless.

>> just ahead on al jazeera, setting the stage for a political comeback. we'll take a closer look at the woman tipped to become chile's president once again. >> i'm mike hammer at jordan valley where water is a weapon. a quarter of a million people driven from their homes - most because of restrict access to water.

good to have you with us. these are the top stories on al

jazeera: substantial food and medical aid reaches the survivors of typhoon haiyan in the philippines. some areas have been without food for a week. >> the british prime minister says sri lanka has until march to investigate alleged human rights abuses during its civil war. david cameron skipped the first day of a commonwealth summit in colombo. if progress is not made he'll approach the u.n. for an international inquiry. as many as 32 have been killed and hundreds injured after armed forces opened fire on protesters. >> let's get more on the top story - the relief effort of the philippines. veronica pedrosa is in leyte, which has been destroyed by typhoon haiyan. >> this is the eastern coast of leyte. down the road from tacloban - the city where most the

international media attention has been focused. this town is on the coast and bore the same battering from typhoon haiyan that tacloban did, but it is less developed, less politically important. they are still waiting for some aid to flood in. there's a little bit of aid coming here, but it is nowhere near enough - having talked to the residents here. behind me you can see how badly devastated the area was. what you are seeing is an area that used to be first of all house, packed in close together. made of flimsy materials - built on bamboo sticks, whiker walls, palm leaves for the roofs. they have all been destroyed. the official number for the death toll is 3,000.

residents spect it to go up because they think bodies may be under ut wreckage of what used to be this vibrant neighbour hood. the water, when it came up eight days ago was 15 metres high - as high as the roofs of the cement buildings you are finding here. >> what is the situation now? talking to this family, they were tells us that they have not been able to contact families in manila to let them know they are okay, even though they stayed in the house while the storm was going on, because it was all their worldly possessions in the house. he has wounds not treated, and we were able to lend him a disinfelentant wipe to do a little to -- disinfectant wipes to do a little bit to stop the

bacteria growing. they need medical attention, water, food and to feel they have not been forgotten. there has been a couple of helicopters going on from the philippines forces and the u.s.s. "george washington" group, which came in large numbers to ramp up the assistanceance after the storm. the leaders of somalia's hunt land region -- puntland region say more aid is needed. aid has arrived from ethiopia and djibouti. it is not enough. >> translation: we are thankful for the support of our neighbours. theirs is the first outside help. the unfolding disaster is huge. we need immediate and long term he. >> a senior chinese leader

called for politicians to unite behind bed reforms aimed at rejuvenating the country, restructuring the economy. number 3 in china's communist party urged members to push through the changes. they include closure of re-education camps - they hold tens of thousands of inmates. panels have the power to sentence offenders to years in camps without trial. the businesses will play a bigger role. it's unlikely industry sanctions will be relaxed. some parents will be allowed to have more than one baby. it's an attempt to reambulance the ageing society. andrew thomas reports from beijing, and the news have been welcomed by many. >> there's a lot of excitement in the playground at beijing. it's not all among the children - single children at

the moment. their parents have a reason to be excited. i was speaking to a mother with a 2-year-old, ecstatic she can have more children. her husband works for a state-owned enterprise. he would have lost his job if they'd had another child before. >> they talk about profound reform. online and social media, and the chinese version of twitter. it's the only topic of conversation going. whether or not people will have more children now they can is a moot point. in some areas of china, where this has been trialled, fewer than half of the mother eligible have down so. they are excited at the prospect, many say having one is expensive enough. many of the parents today are single children themselves. that's what they are used to. this is a way for the government to listen to its people, it

understands it's anpopular and can change things without the need for a political change. >> a curfew has been imposed in some pakistani cities after fighting. soldiers have been brought in to control the streets. violence broke out. shops were set on fire after sunnis insulted shia muslims. 13 of the 32 injured had gunshot wounds. polling stations opened in the maldives. it's the second round of voting. there was no candidate who won 50% of the poll. the delay meant the country has been in a constitutional limbo because it doesn't have a leader. one of the two candidates is the democratically elected mohammad machev forced out.

>> rob matheson -- evelyn matthei is leading in the polls in khelle. >> she's a single mother, an i think yist and socialist. yet former president michelle bachelet is so popular she gave up her job as the head of the u.n.'s women's organization to run for office again. 69-year-old norma is a housewife. like many in this working class neighbourhood she is passionate about michelle bachelet. >> translation: no one recognised us or cared about housewive's until michelle came along. with pensions and other social matters. >> in chile it's sociable and

personnelable. some critics accuse her of talking socialism and defending a probusiness system five ouring a small elite. this time she's promising to level the playing fields, raising corporate taxes to pay for health and education. gradual changes. >> they don't want to kill the goos that lay the golden egg. they want the eggs better distributed. that's what they are voting for michelle bachelet to do, to better distribute the benefits of economic growth. >> michelle bachelet's personal life was mashed by tragedy. her father died in a military coup. >> behind the gates here was a secret interrogation and torture center where michelle bachelet and her mother were detained before being sent to exile after the coup. this falls on the 40th

anniversary of the coup, leading to soul-searching, including for the presidential candidate. michelle bachelet says it's difficult to heel chile's wounds and her own. >> what i have learnt the most is how we could somehow could we never live in a country described as a country of enemies. her past made her determined and cautious - perhaps too cautious to make the reforms needed in the first. >> at least 18 bodies have been fund in multiple graves in mexico. victims were unearthed in areas affectedly drug cartel violence. the discoveries were made after two dozen police officers

confessed work to a cartel, and led agents to the grave. >> former rulers of the working mattery turned themselves into police after a supreme court ruling, ordering 12 politicians and a former party president and founder to begin searching prison terms. they were convicted of buying votes in a corruption scandal. >> israel says it will build a separation wall in the jordan valley calling it a necessary measure. it was insisted that it was part of a strategy for control of water. >> only one family lives in the village. this is all that remains of a cattle farming industry that blossomed in the jordan valley. this 84-year-old and his children stayed. 50 families left, squeezed out by the israeli settlements built

all around. he now pays more than $1 a heater for water. israeli settlers pay $0.10 for the same amount. >> translation: we used to have access to the jordan river. it was not off limits like it is now. >> this is what, for decades made the jordan river off limits, a zone cutting off access to the water. what the israeli government says is essential for the security of the state. in recent years jewish settlements have been established in the area - nearly 40 of them, 9,000 settlers drilled wells for exclusive israeli use and diverted ground table water used by palestinians. of the more than 50 water springs mapped in the jordan valley one is under control. the land on which cows grazed for decades has been declared a

nature reserve and some animals that strayed there have been shot. >> the last family in the village has been encircled. >> translation: we used to farm the land. palestinians farmed next to ours. the israelis came and closed the wells. people left because of limited water. if there's no water, there's no life. >> the pan pals that provided the village with water has been shut. walls adorned by graffitti. when this and other pumps were working 350,000 palestinians lived in the jordan valley, now only 60,000 remain. a quarter of a million people have been driven off their lands, the primary weapon used. the separation wall built is not the beginning of the process,

but an end. >> and you can find that story and the rest of the day's news, including more on the top story of the aid effort in the philippines on the website. aljazeera.com. tuition. we'll take to you the birthplace of the popcorn machine. i'm david shuster in for ali velshi, and this is "real money." >> this is "real money" and you're the most important part of the show. join us on twitter . the troubles keep piling up for president obama anhi