Typhoon Haiyan survivors walk through the ruins of their neighborhood on the outskirts of Tacloban, central Philippines on Wednesday, Nov. 13, 2013. Firemen carry the newly recovered body of a victim of Typhoon Haiyan in Tacloban, central Philippines, Wednesday, Nov. 13, 2013. Typhoon Haiyan survivors walk through the ruins of their neighborhood in Tacloban, central Philippines on Wednesday, Nov. 13, 2013. A man named J.R. Apan painted a plea for help in front of his destroyed home the day after the typhoon hit hoping for aid to arrive but says he has not yet received food and water supplies. People cover their noses from the stench of dead bodies in an area affected by Typhoon Haiyan in Tacloban, Philippines, Wednesday, Nov. 13, 2013. Typhoon Haiyan, one of the strongest storms on record, slammed into six central Philippine islands on Friday, leaving a wide swath of destruction and thousands of people dead. Typhoon Haiyan survivors walk through the ruins of their neighborhood on the outskirts of Tacloban, Philippines on Wednesday, Nov. 13, 2013. TACLOBAN, Philippines (AP) - Soldiers sat atop trucks distributing rice and water on Thursday in this typhoon-devastated city and chainsaw- wielding teams cut debris from blocked roads, small signs that a promised aid effort is beginning to pick up pace even as thousands flocked the airport, desperate to leave. The first C-130 transport planes arrived at 3 a.m. at Tacloban airport, the first nighttime flight since the typhoon struck on Friday, suggesting air control systems are now in place for a 24-7 operation - a prerequisite for the massive relief operation needed. Food, water and medical supplies from the U.S., Malaysia and Singapore sat on pallets along the tarmac. Military officials were among the thousands waiting outside the airport trying to get their families out. "My family has nothing to eat, and we have no place to stay," said Sgt. William Escala. We cannot bear the stench. The kids are getting sick. While the cogs of what promises to be a massive international aid effort are beginning to turn, it is still not quick enough for the 600,000 people displaced, many of them homeless, hungry and thirsty, their livelihoods destroyed. Much of the aid - and the staff needed to distribute it - is stuck in Manila and the nearby airport of Cebu, a 45-minute flight away. Some among the desperate residents have resorted to raiding for food. But police say the situation is improving on the ground. The death toll rose to 2,357, according a national tally kept by the disaster agency. Gegham Petrosyan, from International Committee of the Red Cross, said destruction along the south cost of Samar island had been "massive." "People are desperate for life-saving aid," Petrosyan said. However, logistical and security constraints continue to hamper the distribution of desperately needed relief. AP writers Chris Brummitt and Teresa Cerojano in Manila contributed to this report.