16 November 2007

Cyclone Sidr hit Bangladesh and eastern India yesterday triggering a five metre (15 feet) high tidal surge. This, combined with winds of over 155km per hour, devastated coastal areas and flattened villages in its path.

Sidr is thought to be the biggest cyclone to hit the Bangladesh coast since 1991. Millions of people have been directly affected, either injured, displaced, left homeless or losing their livelihoods. Current reports have confirmed over 3000 people dead, but the death toll is expected to rise, and could reach 10,000.

ActionAid’s Emergency Adviser for Asia, Dr Unnikrishnan PV said that timely prevention efforts forestalled many deaths. "Thousands of lives have been saved through early warning and early response mechanisms. In Bangladesh 3.2 million people were evacuated within a short time by the government and aid agencies."

However, he also said that the region has suffered major devastation. "We are getting more reports about the level of destruction and the number of houses lost and people stranded. Immediate relief and longer-term rehabilitation efforts will be essential."

ActionAid has sent assessment teams to the affected areas to gauge needs. They carried with them and are already delivering clean water, and will be providing dry food, oral rehydration solutions and water purification tablets.

We are also starting to prepare for the long-term, and are already planning how to support families and communities to rebuild their homes and their livelihoods.

ActionAid is a member of the UK’s Disasters Emergency Committee.

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