Attachments
Highlights
• On May 26, 2024, cyclone 'Remal' made landfall near the Bangladesh-India border. The tidal surge accompanied by extremely heavy rainfall, caused flooding of between 5 and 8 feet in the coastal districts.
• A rapid needs assessment by the Inter-agency Needs Assessment Working Group found that 4.6 million people were impacted by the cyclone across 19 districts (2.24 million women, 1.79 million children ages 0-19, 61,889 pregnant women, and 65,422 persons with disabilities) with 16 deaths.
• With UNICEF support, the Department of Public Health Engineering (DPHE) distributed 811,000 Water Purification Tablets (WPTs), 4,966 jerry cans, 578 water buckets, 3,500 hygiene kits, and 10 mobile water treatment plants in affected locations to prevent outbreaks of water-borne diseases.
• UNICEF provided humanitarian cash support of US$51 (60% of the Minimum Expenditure Basket) to 4,930 households with pregnant women to facilitate their access to a range of critical goods and services.
• Around 30,000 caregivers of under-two children received IYCFE messages through partners and government facilities like Community Clinics, IMCI corners, EPI centers.
• UNICEF participated in a joint field assessment mission with members of the Humanitarian Coordination Task Team (HCTT), WFP, UNDP, UN Women, FCDO, EU, ECHO, GAC, and RC to Khulna with a focus on assessing the impact of the cyclone and identify pockets not reached.
• The Cyclone Remal Humanitarian Response Plan 2024 has been published, appealing for US$53 million and targeting 784,000 severaly impacted people.
• UNICEF has mobilised US$ 2.29 million from CERF to provide critical services and meet the priority needs of children and women in Bangladesh. Critical funding gaps (49%) remain across all sectors, restricting UNICEF’s ability to meet the priority needs of girls, women, and persons with disabilities.
Situation in Numbers
4.6 million people affected in Bangladesh
1.79 million children (0-19) affected in Bangladesh
1.3 million people in need of humanitarian assistance (NAWG, 31 May 2024)
979,306 Rohingya population in need of assistance (UNHCR, 30 April 2024)
Humanitarian Situation
On May 26, 2024, Cyclone 'Remal' made landfall near the Bangladesh-India border, in the western part of Sundarbans in the Shatkhira district. The tidal surge accompanied by extremely heavy rainfall, caused flooding of between 5 and 8 feet in the coastal districts.
Cyclone Remal is the most devastating cyclone to strike Bangladesh in over a decade. According to the Government assessment (NDRCC report, SoS Form), 4.6 million people were affected across 19 districts. Of the total people affected, more than half are women. A total of 173,866 houses were damaged or destroyed (133,528 partially damaged and 40,338 fully damaged), and 16 lives lost.
On May 31, 2024, the Needs Assessment Working Group (NAWG) published a rapid needs assessment providing a critical overview of the impact and needs of Cyclone Remal. Pirojpur, Khulna, Bagerhat, Satkhira, Patuakhali, Barguna, Bhola, and Barisal remain the most affected districts. The tidal surge breached embankments, resulting in extensive flooding and damage to homes, infrastructure, forests, agricultural fields, and fishing farms in low-lying areas. According to NAWG, out of 277,226 hectares of cultivable land, 80,591 hectares of land were inundated, and 46.6 per cent of standing crops were damaged. Embankments were damaged by the storm and as a result, there has been saltwater intrusion of both cropland and animal water sources. 23.5 per cent of food stored was lost. Initial data from the Department of Public Health Engineering (DPHE) in the eight severely affected districts identified 20,260 water points and 134,269 latrines damaged. Cyclone Remal has resulted in a loss of approximately US$600 million in 20 districts of the country.
The Government responded immediately to address needs and allocated a response fund of US$903,385, provide in kind (through provisions such as rice, cash, children's food, and fodder) covering 15 affected districts. The UN Emergency Relief Coordinator announced an allocation of $7.5 million from the Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) to provide critical humanitarian assistance to those affected by Cyclone Remal. Additionally, UN agencies and humanitarian partners are also providing immediate humanitarian assistance to affected populations; for instance, the Start Network allocated 800,000 Pounds, the EU released 1.2 million Euros and BRAC contributed approximately US$860,000) to the response.