The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) on Tuesday called for immediate interventions in fisheries and agriculture after Typhoon Haiyan, which tore through the Philippines causing severe damages in addition to massive loss of life.

"I want to express the solidarity of FAO and myself personally with the people and the government of the Philippines," said FAO Director-General Jose Graziano da Silva.

"The super typhoon Haiyan has left a trail of destruction and thousands of lives have been lost. The devastation caused in the country, including in the agricultural, fisheries and forestry sectors, puts the lives and livelihoods of many more at risk and can have a wider effect on the food supply chain and food security," Graziano da Silva added.

"Although there is not a clear picture yet of the impact on the agriculture sector, it is evident that the damage is extensive," said Dominique Burgeon, director of FAO's Emergency and Rehabilitation Division.

As part of its immediate response to the disaster, the FAO has deployed emergency response staff and will use the 1 million U.S. dollars already mobilized to cover immediate needs such as seeds and fertilizers.

According to the FAO, an initial total of 24 million dollars will be needed for emergency and rehabilitation efforts.

The typhoon, hitting at the beginning of the main rice-planting season, has affected over 1 million farmers and destroyed hundreds of thousands of hectares of rice, the organization estimated.

According to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, about 9.5 million people have been affected by the typhoon. Endi

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