BANGLADESH: CYCLONE
THIS PRELIMINARY APPEAL SEEKS CHF 3,000,000 IN CASH TO ASSIST 10,000
FAMILIES FOR 2 MONTHS
Summary
A cyclone hit the South Eastern coast
of Bangladesh during the evening of 19 May, creating a trail of devastation
along the coast between Chittagong and Teknaf and leaving some 500,000
people homeless. The Bangladesh Red Crescent Society (BDRCS) has already
begun distributing food and tarpaulins and is preparing to provide food
rations and temporary shelter and housing materials to the worst affected
in the course of the next two months. The thrust of the operation has been
determined by aerial and land surveys and information from the BDRCS cyclone
preparedness network. As further information becomes available, the number
of beneficiaries and the aid to be given may be adjusted.
The Intended Operation
The Bangladesh Red Crescent Society,
with support from the Federation that included a CHF 200,000 advance from
the Disaster Relief Emergency Fund (DREF), has mobilised resources to carry
out an immediate relief operation. An emergency 5-day food ration, consisting
of 7.5 kg chira (compressed rice), 2.5 kg ghur (molasses), 0.5 kg iodised
salt, plus tarpaulins to provide temporary shelter, is being distributed
to 1,000 families. Another 1,000 families will receive an allocation of
dates.
In a second phase of the emergency relief
operation, and in view of the large scale damage to housing, 10,000 families
will be provided with materials to construct iron-roofed, bamboo framed
houses. It is planned that a further 800 families will receive corrugated
iron sheeting for roofing.
Distributions will take place in the worst-affected areas of the Districts
of Chittagong, Cox's Bazar and Teknaf. They will be carried out through
the three BDRCS Units (Branches) of Chittagong City, Chittagong District
and Cox's Bazar District. The local Cyclone Preparedness Programme (CPP)
staff and volunteer network will be available to provide support to the
Units.
The Disaster
A severe tropical cyclone "One
Bravo" which had been gathering intensity in the Bay of Bengal, struck
the south-eastern coast of Bangladesh on Monday, 19 May. It crossed the
Chittagong-Feni coast north of Chittagong at approximately 18.30 hours.
The cyclone created serious damage and flooding in the eastern coastal
belt area of Bangladesh, which is home to approximately four million people.
The main effects were felt along the 200 kilometre-long coastal area between
the port city of Chittagong and Teknaf, at the southern tip of Bangladesh.
This densely populated coastal flatland was swept by torrential rain, flooding
and violent winds, which left more than 500,000 people homeless.
Although the wind speeds were up to 250 kilometres per hour, there was
no tidal surge accompanying the cyclone. The relatively small loss of life,
in comparison with the 140,000 people killed when a cyclone hit the same
coastal area in 1991, can be attributed partly to the absence of the tidal
bore, but also to the effectiveness of the BDRCS cyclone preparedness programme.
The community-awareness campaigns, warning systems and enhanced communications,
plus the mobilisation of 15,000 volunteers in the affected area, were key
to the successful evacuation of the vulnerable population. Approximately
one million people took refuge in the cyclone shelters, thus significantly
reducing the potential number of deaths.
As of 21 May, reports through the CPP
network from 27 Districts give the following figures: an estimated 100
deaths, over 7,000 people injured and some 250,000 families affected. Housing
suffered major damage, with an estimated 100,000 houses totally destroyed.
Although 80% of the crops had already been harvested before the cyclone
struck, thousands of acres of crops remaining in the low-lying areas were
totally destroyed. The Cox's Bazar District was particularly affected by
crop damage, since betel leaf crops, salt beds and shrimp cultures were
devastated, which will seriously jeopardise the livelihood of the local
population.
The Response so far
Government Action Government activities
in response to the disaster are coordinated by the Prime Minister's office.
In each of the affected Districts, a Minister was appointed by the Prime
Minister, Sheikh Hasina, to monitor the response and a Disaster Control
cell was set up in Chittagong. The government provided a helicopter to
enable the donor community to conduct an aerial survey of the damage.
Red Cross/Red Crescent Action The BDRCS
CPP staff at Headquarters have been closely monitoring the situation via
the 140 radio stations in the coastal belt. The CPP volunteers immediately
conducted on-the-ground preliminary assessments of damage and are constantly
updating this information which is fed through the radio network to the
BDRCS Headquarters.
On 19th May 1997, the BDRCS/Federation Delegation despatched three teams
of staff to the affected areas in order to collect information relating
to the damage. The teams are currently located between Chittagong and Cox's
Bazar.
On 20th May, the BDRCS sent two relief
trucks from the National Headquarters to Chittagong and Cox's Bazar. The
trucks distributed 400 tarpaulins, 20 rolls of plastic sheeting, 100 jerry
cans, 500 mugs, 500 pieces of crockery, 500 aluminium plates, 5,000 pieces
of second-hand clothing, 50 bars of soap, 1 ton of compressed rice and
120 kilos of ghur. The Branches of Chittagong City, Chittagong District
and Cox's Bazar have mobilised their Unit Executive Committees and the
BDRCS Unit Officers are responsible for coordinating relief activities.
The BDRCS/Federation chartered a plane in order to conduct an aerial survey
of the coastal belt between Chittagong and Teknaf; the assessment took
place on 20th May and continued today, 21st May. The information obtained
from the survey, together with the reports issued through the CPP network
and the details provided by the BDRCS/Federation mobile teams form the
basis of the damage assessment and information as to the immediate needs
of the affected population.
Other Agencies' Action The NGO Affairs Bureau will coordinate with NGOs
in order to make drinking water, food, medicine, water purifying tablets
available. Major international NGOs active in Bangladesh are currently
formulating plans for assistance to the affected population.
Coordination The BDRCS/Federation is
participating in the coordination meetings of UNDP and in the NGO Disaster
Forum meetings. The Acting Secretary General of the BDRCS regularly attends
meetings of the Inter-Ministerial Disaster Management and Coordination
Committee.
The Needs to be met
Assessment of Needs According to the
findings of an aerial survey of the affected area, reports from the CPP
volunteer network and information gathered through the BDRCS/Federation
mobile teams, the most vulnerable among the half million affected people
are in need of short term food rations and temporary shelter. Since a vast
number of homes were either totally or partially destroyed, reconstruction
needs will be the highest priority.
Red Crescent Objectives
To assist those affected by the cyclone disaster of 19 May 1997, by providing
immediate emergency food rations.
To assist those families who lost their homes by providing temporary shelter
materials and materials with which to reconstruct their homes.
National Society/Federation Plan of Action
Emergency Phase: 21st May 1997 - 31st
May 1997 Provision of emergency food rations to 1,000 families, together
with tarpaulins for temporary shelter. A further 1,000 families will receive
an allocation of dates.
Phase Two: 1st June - 21st July 1997
Provision of house frames and roofing material to 10,000 families and corrugated
iron sheets to a further 800 families.
Capacity of the National Society The BDRCS Branches, together with the
network of CPP volunteers, have the experience and the capacity to implement
the planned relief operation. A Cyclone Relief control room has been set
up at National Headquarters to coordinate activities.
Present Capacity of the Federation in Bangladesh The Federation Delegation
is currently made up of a Head of Delegation, a Relief Delegate, a Disaster
Preparedness Delegate, a Logistics Coordinator, a Construction Delegate,
a Telecommunications Delegate, and a Reporting and Administration Delegate.
Evaluation Monitoring of the distributions will be carried out by the BDRCS/Federation
Delegation. Situation Reports will be submitted to the donors in accordance
with standard procedures.
Budget summary
A budget summary will be made available within the next few days.
Conclusion
The south-eastern coastal belt of Bangladesh
is an impoverished region where the population lives in great hardship.
Since up to 80% of the harvest had been gathered at the time of the cyclone,
there are no food shortages, and this appeal includes only a five day emergency
ration for 1,000 families who lost all their possessions in the disaster.
It focuses on assistance to those worst affected by the disaster, aiming
to help them by providing temporary shelter materials and enabling them
to reconstruct their homes.
Margareta Wahlström
Under Secretary General,
Disaster Response Operations Coordination
George Weber
Secretary General