Six months on from the devastating cyclone which hit costal districts of Bangladesh on 15 November 2007, the official death toll from Cyclone Sidr stands at 3,363, with over 8.9 million people affected.

The cyclone swept through the Bay of Bengal with winds of over 150mph triggering a 15-foot high tidal wave.

The main damage was caused in the coastal districts of Khulna, Barisal, Borguna and Mongla where the cyclone was at its strongest.

Economists say that damage totaling £460 million has been caused to property alone and that some parts of the country will take 40 years to recover.

The capital, Dhaka, was also hit badly resulting in loss of power supply, damaged property and uprooted trees.

ActionAid’s response
ActionAid’s immediate response focused on distributing food and water along with non-food items, including oral re-hydration salts, water purification tablets emergency shelter, clothing, medicine and sanitation facilities.

Longer term plans focused on livelihood support, healthcare, water, sanitation, psychosocial care, cash for work programmes, and policy work. They also concentrated on livelihood support which aimed at assisting people to regain their assets and means for making a living.

ActionAid Bangladesh also put together a comprehensive psychosocial care programme which aims to address the mental trauma suffered by the cyclone survivors.

In terms of policy, ActionAid has become an active member in UN Cluster meetings with specific focus on the shelter, water and sanitation and early recovery groups. The UN Cluster appoach aims to group together agencies with similar expertise in order to improve the preparedness of disaster prone countries to cope with future hazards.

We are also raising issues of women’s land rights with UN Habitat, as well as ensuring that climate change and the increase in weather-related disasters is incorporated into long-term disaster preparedness strategies. In particular, we are lobbying the Bangladesh government to include climate change in the national curriculum.

We continue to focus our attention on those who are most vulnerable; women, children, the elderly and disabled.

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

Donate NOW online through ActionAid or the Disasters Emergency Committee or call 0870 60 60 900.