Bangladesh + 1 more
More than one million children affected by Cyclone Mora as scale of destruction begins to emerge
A full picture of the trail of destruction left by Cyclone Mora is beginning to emerge, after the storm made landfall on Tuesday in Bangladesh’s southeast, leaving millions of children’s futures at stake.
“The damage and destruction left by the storm is immense, with trees uprooted, homes and crops destroyed, roads and telecommunications interrupted and a large number of schools damaged,” Save the Children Country Director in Bangladesh, Mark Pierce said.
“We know that a lot of the poorer communities in low-lying areas or where housing is very basic have been heavily impacted, especially those whose homes are made largely from corrugated iron. Mora has had a particularly severe impact because of its strong winds, gusting at up to 128km/h, and a heavy rainfall,which also makes the humanitarian response more difficult.
Early estimates reveal that more than 2.8 million people have been affected including 1.1 million children, concentrated largely around Cox’s Bazaar and coastal districts, however emergency assessments are still being carried out and numbers could rise further. There are also reports of significant damage in makeshift settlements housing Rohingya refugees.
“We’re particularly concerned about the impact the storm has had on children, both within the Rohingya refugee settlements and outside. Not only is experiencing a storm like this extremely frightening for children, but there are reports of significant damage to a large number of schools which could see these children missing out on vital education too,” Mr Pierce said.
“Repairing damaged classrooms and getting children back to the safety and routine of school will be a big priority in this emergency response.
“Making matters worse, there is also an increased risk of disease, especially for those living in temporary or basic housing and with poor water and sanitation facilities.”
Save the Children teams are currently assessing the needs in the worst affected areas and stand ready to respond, including by distributing hygiene items like jerry cans, soaps and water purification tablets to prevent the spread of disease, as well as supporting damaged schools to re-open and distributing plastic sheeting for temporary shelter.
The aid agency has been working in Bangladesh since 1970 and has a long history of responding to disasters across the country.
ENDS
For interviews and other media inquiries, contact Md Abdul Quayyum in Dhaka on +880 171 502 5551 or Evan Schuurman in Bangkok on +66 989 725 908.