A baby born in the aftermath of Typhoon Yolanda recuperates at a makeshift birthing clinic in Tacloban city, central Philippines PIC: Reuters
A baby born in the aftermath of Typhoon Yolanda recuperates at a makeshift birthing clinic in Tacloban city, central Philippines PIC: Reuters

Amid scenes of destruction and carnage caused by Typhoon Yolanda in the Philipinnes, babies keep on being born.

The conditions into which these newborns emerge are among the very toughest imaginable, yet these tiny symbols of life continuing as Yolanda recedes can offer small glimpses of hope.

In the storm ravaged town of Tacloban there were cheers when baby Bea Joy Sagales was born healthy from mother Emily Ortega, 21, on Monday.

The little girl was named Beatriz after her grandmother, who has been not been found and may have fallen victim to the Typhoon known also as Haiyan.

It is feared she may be one of the up to 10,000 victims of the storm which hit the Philippines and caused total devastation by flattening towns and cutting off communities without food and water.

High school teacher Andrew Pomeda, 36, described what has happened to Tacloban, Beatriz's new home.

"Tacloban is totally destroyed," he said. "Some people are losing their minds from hunger or from losing their families. People are becoming violent. They are looting business establishments, the malls, just to find food, rice and milk. I am afraid that in one week, people will be killing from hunger."

Storm