The UN plans to launch in Manila on Tuesday a flash appeal for urgent international assistance for the Philippines, hit by Typhoon Haiyan. Valerie Amos, the top UN coordinator for emergency humanitarian assistance, was on her way to Manila after releasing 20 million dollars from a UN fund to immediately help the government there, dpa reported. "We salute the Philippine response to the disaster, which has been very impressive," said John Ging, director of operations in the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Assistance in New York. Ging said a UN team is on the ground in the Philippines to coordinate relief activities.