Cyclone Sidr Update
November 25, 2007
Note: New content has been inserted in red, italicized, bold font.
Current Status
The Government of Bangladesh (GoB) and media sources reported no significant change Sunday (November 25) in the death toll from Tropical Cyclone Sidr, which struck the southern coast of Bangladesh as a category four (five is the highest) storm at 20:30 local time on November 15 and affected some 6.8 million people (1.6 million families), killing at least 3,400. On Wednesday (November 21), Bangladeshi military chief Gen. Moeen Ahmad estimated that the number of people killed would total around 5,000, while the Bangladeshi Red Crescent Society has said it could go as high as 10,000. As of Friday (November 23), around 1,800 people, many of them fishermen who had been on boats in the Bay of Bengal, are still missing and the GoB estimates more than 34,000 people have been injured. Originating in the Bay of Bengal, Sidr struck the southwestern coast of Bangladesh on November 15, packing winds between 87 and 103 mph (140 and 165 kph). The Bangladeshi Meteorological Department reported that Sidr had a radius of 311 miles (500 km) with the eye of the storm having winds between 137 and 150 mph (220 and 240 kph). Areas along the coast and small offshore islands received the brunt of the storm, which struck in 15 districts from CoxÕs Bazar in the countryÕs extreme southeast to Satkira district on the western border with India. Worst hit were the first-hit areas of Khulna and Barisal divisions, which sustained storm surges measuring 15 feet (six meters) in height. Barguna district was the hardest hit, with 1,070 people reported dead there. Sidr had dissipated by late Friday (November 16), although heavy rains continued across Bangladesh and northeastern India for several days. Sidr was the strongest cyclone to hit Bangladesh since a 1991 storm killed some 143,000 people in the country.
According to the local Daily Star newspaper, leading national economists from the think-tank, the Center for Policy Dialogue (CPD), estimates that Sidr caused property losses of 65 billion taka (US$929 million). Economists from the CPD say that the figure is sure to increase once the final figures are tallied and that the country will lag behind for years because of the disaster. Based on data available from the Ministry of Food and Disaster Management as of Nov. 21, CPD calculated the loss of paddy at 3500 billion taka (about 500 million U.S. dollars), roads and bridges at 11 billion taka (about 157 million U.S. dollars), houses at 7.5 billion taka (about 107 million U.S. dollars), and trees at 5 billion taka (about 71.4 million U.S. dollars). The CPD says that Sidr affected more than 40 million people, with 10 million who live in the coastal zone being directly affected. The worldÕs largest mangrove forest in the southwestern Sundarbands will take at least 40 years to recover, the CPD said. (Xinhua, Nov. 25)
Bangladesh's interim finance minister, Mirza Azizul Islam, said the economic impact of the cyclone was "huge," but that it was too early to estimate the extent of the damage to BangladeshÕs economy. "The economic loss of the cyclone is colossal. We are still counting," he said. "Millions of people have been badly affected. No doubt its impact will be huge on the economy." (AFP, Nov. 25)
BangladeshÕs army chief, General Moeen U. Ahmed on Sunday (Nov. 25) called for better coordination of relief operations. ÒPlease coordinate with us, so that we can dispatch your relief goods to the survivors who need it most,Ó Moeen said. He added that US navy ships had arrived to help out in the relief effort. ÒIf we can utilize the huge capabilities of the US ships, we can successfully conduct a useful relief operation for the survivors,Ó Moeen said. (Reuters, Nov. 25) ÒCoordination among relief distributors is a problem,Ó said Heather Blackwell, Bangladesh representative of Oxfam. (Reuters, Nov. 25)
News agencies are reporting thousands of survivors continuing to gather at river banks and roadsides in affected areas. Many are reportedly coming form remote areas, saying that relief was not reaching them in remote villages. (Reuters, Nov. 25)
The GoB officially requested international aid on Tuesday (November 20), saying that the Bangladeshi Armed Forces Division (AFD), which is coordinating the relief effort, had not yet been able to distribute aid to about 30 percent of hard-hit coastal areas. According to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), a UN Disaster Assessment and Coordination (UNDAC) team remains stood down. The Agence France-Presse (AFP) on Saturday attributed a Disaster Management Bureau official as saying that so far the GoB has received pledges of around US$470 million in relief. Other total relief estimates have ranged from US$400 million to US$450 million. (AFP, Nov. 24) The World Bank has pledged the most money, offering up to US$250 million, while the Asian Development Bank had pledged US$20 million. In total, the UN has pledged some US$35 million. The UNÕs Central Emergency Relief Fund (CERF) has contributed about US$15 million. Among the foreign governments offering the largest donations so far are Saudi Arabia (US$100 million), United Kingdom (US$10.2 million, including an addition $5.1 million pledged Friday), Japan (US$14 million) the European Commission (US$9.5 million), Canada (US$3.4 million), Australia (US$2.7 million) and Kuwait (US$2.3 million). The US Agency for International Development (USAID) has so far released about US$2.3 million. (Reuters, Nov. 22) As of Saturday (Nov. 24) OCHA reports that the total amount of received contributions and pledges is US$122,108,986. (OCHA, Nov. 25)
Having been approved by the GoB on Thursday (November 22) to assist in relief operations, the US military made its first delivery Friday, delivering 3,000 gallons (11,300 liters) of water to hard-hit Barisal. Personnel from the USS Kearsarge were continuing to deliver water to some of the worst-affected coastal areas and were carrying out medical evacuations on Sunday (November 25). Lt. Col. Main Ullah Chowdury of the Bangladeshi Army said that officers were also dispensing medical assistance from a clinic aboard the Kearsarge. (AP, Nov. 25) Marine Col. Doug Stilwell, commanding officer of the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit, commended the GoBÕs effort and said FridayÕs deliveries were only the beginning of long-term aid to Bangladesh. The USS Essex and the USS Tarawa were also due to arrive soon, US Navy spokesperson Lt. Commander John Daniels said from Washington. (AFP, Nov. 25)
A shortage of clean drinking water was one of the main problems confronting survivors, relief workers say, along with the risk of outbreaks of water-borne disease. Worst-affected are the hard-hit coastal areas where drinking water supplied by surface water had been contaminated by saline water. (AFP, Nov. 25)
At a November 22 meeting of the Disaster Emergency Response (DER) group, composed of UN, NGO and GoB officials, participants discussed initial needs assessments and agreed on short- and long-term recovery goals. The DER has established six relief clusters and appointed agencies to lead each: food (UN World Food Program or WFP), logistics (WFP), water and sanitation (UN ChildrenÕs Fund or UNICEF), emergency shelter (International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies or IFRC), health (World Health Organization or WHO), and early recovery (UN Development Program or UNDP). GoB focal points will be appointed for each cluster. (OCHA, Nov. 23)
The UNÕs Rapid Initial Assessment Report, released November 22, said about 4.7 million people were affected in the worst-affected districts of Barisal, Bhola, Patuakhali, Barguna, Jhalakathi, Pirojpur, Bagerhat, Khulna and Satkhira. Of those, an estimated 2.1 million need immediate life-saving food assistance. Food, shelter and cash were found to be the three highest priority areas for assistance. Sanitation, drinking water, medical supplies and communications and transportation restoration are listed as other high-priority needs in descending order. (UN, Nov. 22)
A section of a bridge collapsed Saturday (Nov. 24) as thousands of hungry cyclone victims stampeded toward aid workers who were delivering rice in the subdistrict of Kalapara in hard-hit Patuakhali district. Food was reportedly being distributed by a private cement company, which did not control the crowd as it approached or alerted officials to its plans, GoB officials said. At least one person died and more than 100 were reportedly injured. At least another two are reported to be missing. Rescuers are continuing to look for survivors. (AP, AFP, Nov. 24, Nov. 25)
Although power was knocked out around the country by the storm, it is expected to be fully restored by November 30. All land phone connections should be restored by November 27, too, according to the GoB. (The Daily Star, Nov. 22)
Impact
GoB death toll numbers remained unchanged Saturday, ranging from 3,167, as reported by Bangladeshi Army spokesman Lt. Col. Main Ullah Chowdhury, to 3,447, as reported to media by the GoBÕs Disaster Management Information Center (DMIC). The death toll is expected to rise and on November 23, Bangladeshi military chief Gen. Moeen Ahmad estimated that the number of people killed would total around 5,000. Bangladeshi Red Crescent Society officials have said the death toll could reach 10,000. (CNN, Nov. 21) In its Friday situation report, the DMIC reported that 34,511 people had been injured in the storm and 1,828 were still missing. (DMIC, Nov. 23)
The worst-hit districts included Barguna, Patuakhali, Jhalakathi and Bagerhat, where 60 to 70 percent of homes were destroyed. According to the DMIC, at least 1,070 people were killed in Barguna district and at least 762 died in Bagerhat. Other hardest affected districts were Pirojpur, Barisal, Bhola, Madaripur, Sariatpur, Gopalganj, Khulna and Satkhira. (The New Nation, Nov. 18)
DMIC says the storm affected a total of 6,776,781 people, including 1,573,815 families, and damaged or destroyed 1,178,974 houses. (DMIC, Nov. 23) About 1.5 million coastal villagers who had not evacuated coastal areas before Thursday have now fled to shelters where they can receive emergency rations. (DMIC, Nov. 20). UNICEF said Wednesday that nearly half of those affected by the disaster were children and about 400,000 of them were under the age of five. (The New Nation, Nov. 21) The GoB estimates that around 280,000 have been left homeless. (AFP, Nov. 23)
According to the local Daily Star newspaper, leading national economists from the think-tank, the Center for Policy Dialogue (CPD), estimates that Sidr caused property losses of 65 billion taka (US$929 million). (Xinhua, Nov. 25)
More than 8,000 educational institutions were fully destroyed by Sidr and the accompanying storm surge. (The Daily Star, Nov. 22) UNICEF said Friday that an estimated 1 million primary school-age children were affected by Sidr and of them, 600,000 are currently not in class because of the widespread damage to school buildings. Some remaining school buildings have been turned into urgently needed emergency shelters for families who lost their homes. (UNICEF, Nov. 24)
The DERÕs Health Cluster will hold its first meeting Sunday to discuss the health situation in hard-hit areas where aid workers say hundreds of people have developed diarrhea. Two deaths from severe diarrhea were reported in worst-hit Patuakhali district on Tuesday, raising fears of an outbreak. The two victims were children. The Bangladeshi Health Ministry has opened a special desk to monitor storm-caused diarrhea outbreaks, but could not immediately confirm the two deaths. The Ministry has a stock of medicines for diarrhea, but is having trouble distributing them because of the difficulty accessing remote areas. (AP, Nov. 21) Outbreaks commonly occur when water is contaminated with diarrhea-causing bacteria following floods and cyclones. Barisal Divisional Health Director Mohammad Abdul Baset has said that an acute diarrhea outbreak could occur at any time. (The Daily Star, Nov. 21) Water sources have become contaminated as corpses of cyclone victims, cattle and wild animals float in rivers and canals. Tube wells in most areas have been twisted by the cyclone, as well, according to WHO. (The New Nation, Nov. 22)
Reuters reports that in many areas, 95 percent of rice crops were badly damaged. Rice crops are usually harvested in December. Hundreds of shrimp farms have also reportedly washed away. A Bangladeshi Agriculture Ministry assessment says that 1 million tons of Amon rice production may have been lost, as well as standing crops in an area of 2 million acres (800,000 hectares). About 463,000 livestock have been reported dead so far. (DMIC, Nov. 23) About 334 miles (538 km) of road have been heavily damaged and 54,648 miles (87,948 km) partly damaged. Around 1,654 bridges and culverts were damaged. (Daily Star, Nov. 21) The extensive damage to infrastructure and crops will cause widespread problems in the future as it has wiped out the source of so many peopleÕs livelihoods. (The New Nation, Nov. 21) The cyclone caused at least US$4 million in damage to BangladeshÕs important fishing industry and an estimated US$35.7 million to the shrimp industry. (Xinhua, Nov. 23)
Although the storm and the subsequent surge cut off power, phone communication and roadways around the country, including parts of Dhaka, the GoB said November 22 that road communications had been nearly fully restored, power should be restored nationwide by November 30 and land phone communications should be fixed by November 27. All affected government offices have been supplied with connected cell phones. (The Daily Star, Nov. 22)
Although an estimated 5 million people live in the most vulnerable areas of coastal Bangladesh, the government estimated that up to 3.2 million were evacuated before the storm, at least 620,000 to official cyclone shelters. More than 40,000 Bangladeshi policemen, soldiers, coastguards and health care workers were deployed along the coast Thursday, according to the BBC.
Background
Storms kill hundreds of people in coastal Bangladesh every year, but occasional severe cyclones kill hundreds of thousands. A cyclone and its subsequent tidal surge in 1991 killed nearly 140,000 and destroyed thousands of homes, and a 1970 storm killed about a half a million people. The most deadly recent storm to hit Bangladesh was a tornado that leveled 80 villages and killed 621 people in the countryÕs north in 1996.
International assistance was requested following tropical cyclone Marian (also unofficially known as Cyclone Gorky), which hit the Chittagong district of southeastern Bangladesh on April 29, 1991 with winds of 155 mph, killing more than 138,000 people. The storm caused an estimated $1.5 billion (1991 US dollars) in damage. Crops were destroyed and agricultural fields were flooded with ocean water, contaminating the soil and drinking water. In response, the United States military provided immediate practical assistance in emergency and short-term recovery operations by establishing a Contingency Joint Task Force and launching Operation Sea Angel. These efforts were credited with saving as many as 200,000 lives.
Country Profile
Bangladesh, with an estimated population of 140 million, is one of the most disaster prone countries in the world due to its geographical location. With its economy heavily dependent on agriculture, the frequency of natural disasters such as floods, cyclones and accompanying storm surges, river-bank erosion, and drought, has hindered economic growth and poverty alleviation, thereby exacerbating the populationÕs vulnerability to risk. Divided into three zones of hills, terraces and a large flood plain, BangladeshÕs geography is uniquely low-lying because its coastal line forms part of the basins of three major rivers, the Padma (Ganges), Brahmaputra and Meghna.
Due to the regularity of major floods and cyclones, which hit the country on an annual basis, Bangladesh has in place a well-established and organized national disaster response structure integrating international aid organizations and on occasion foreign militaries.
BangladeshÕs traditional disaster management model focusing on disaster relief and recovery has evolved into a more holistic approach embracing the processes of hazard identification and mitigation, community preparedness, and integrated response efforts. As such, the Ministry of Relief and Rehabilitation was renamed to the Ministry of Food and Disaster Management (MoFDM) in 2003.
The Disaster Management Bureau (DMB) was created in 1992 to serve as a technical arm to the MoFDM, overseeing and coordinating all disaster management activities from the national to the grassroots level and maintaining liaison with government agencies, donors, and NGOs to ensure cooperation and coordination.
Although Bangladesh continues to strengthen its own capacity to handle wide-scale natural disasters, there will likely be future disasters where international humanitarian assistance is again requested. In Bangladesh and elsewhere, US interests would be well-served by an effective response to disasters. US military expertise and resources could be utilized not only to save lives, but also to possible prevent destabilization. While there has been considerable debate regarding the appropriateness of expanding the role of the US military vis-ˆ-vis non-combat operations, the US military has a long history of humanitarian response and offers considerable assets to the humanitarian community. Coordination, however, between the military and non-governmental humanitarian community continues to be an area where improvement is needed.
Government Response
As of Friday, the GoB has allocated about US$7.1 million through its Relief and Welfare Fund for Sidr victims. In addition, it has allocated 9,640 metric tons of rice, distributed 27,000 food bags, 26,700 blankets, about 16,454 tents, 3,348 utensils and 13,000 bundles of corrugated iron sheeting. (DMIC, Nov. 25) The Armed Forces Division (AFD) continues to transport relief items to the affected areas by plane, helicopters and boats. An estimated 400 tons of relief goods was distributed by the Bangladesh Air Force to date. (OCHA, Nov. 25) The Bangladesh air force has only some 13 helicopters and aircraft to fly in relief sorties. (Reuters, Nov. 25) The GoB has also allocated a special fund of US$5.2 million (350 million BDT) for long-term housing construction.
The Ministry of Food and Disaster Management (MoFDM) allocated 7,640 metric tons of rice and 27,000 food packages, to date. The Deputy Commissioners are procuring and collecting sufficient amount of dry food to respond to the current situation. With the Bangladesh Air Force, WFP is distributing 208 tons of high-energy biscuits to assist an estimated 850,000 cyclone affected people, which is being implemented by Save the Children USA. WFP has begun the distribution of 750 metric tons of rice to the five most affected areas. The WFP Emergency Operation monthly food package ration for cyclone affected households includes 30 kg of rice, 3 kg of pulses, 2 litres of oil and 0.75 kg of high energy biscuits. UNICEF is procuring blended food for children in affected districts for a period of three months. UN partners are distributing dry food (flattened rice and molasses) to 70,000 affected families. (OCHA, Nov. 25)
A total of 732 medical teams are working in the affected areas. In addition to its Polio surveillance officers, WHO deployed two Emergency Health Advisors to the affected areas to assist in monitoring disease outbreak in collaboration with GoB authorities. (OCHA, Nov. 25)
The GoB established a special fund of BDT 211 million taka (US$3.1 million) for housing reconstruction grants throughout 20 affected districts. The MoFDM is distributing 14,979 tents and 13,000 bundles of corrugated iron sheets, in addition to 18,750 bundles of sheets from WVI and a contribution from CRWRC. (OCHA, Nov. 25) The MoFDM is distributing 18,000 blankets, as are Muslim Aid, WVI and DanChurchAid's (DCA). (OCHA, Nov. 25)
The GoB on Tuesday (November 20) officially called for international aid, saying its army had yet to deliver aid to about 30 percent of coastal villages that were devastated by Sidr. (BBC, Nov. 20) So far GoB has received pledges of up to US$470 million in aid from foreign governments, UN agencies and NGOs, AFP reported a Disaster Management Bureau (DMB) official as saying Saturday. (AFP, Nov. 24)
On Thursday, the DMB hosted a high-level donor coordination meeting in which the GoBÕs needs and priorities were identified. Among the priorities for the next four weeks are search and rescue, burial services, updating the death toll, providing first aid, restoring emergency services, power and communications, repairing drinking water sources and supplying emergency relief. From December 2007 to March 2008, the priorities will include home-building assistance, continued food support and preventing epidemics. In the months after March 2008, the focus will be on rehabilitation of the Sundarban forest, reconstruction, building cyclone shelters, improving the early warning system and expanding the disaster information network. (DMIC, Nov. 22) The GoB announced Thursday that it will distribute access cards for Vulnerable Group Feeding programs to 2.5 million families beginning the first of December. Each cardholder will have access to 33 lbs. (15 kg) of rice per month. The program will last at least 4 months. (IRIN, AP, Nov. 22, 25)
At the meeting, the Ministry of Food and Disaster Management announced the opening of a Cyclone SIDR Coordination Cell to be operated out of worst-affected Barisal district. The AFD, which has been coordinating the relief effort from Dhaka, will now operate out of Barisal to better be able to monitor relief and rehabilitation activities. (DMIC, Nov. 22) AFD official Lt. Commander KM Azim said at ThursdayÕs meeting that the Navy has established two Òfocal pointsÓ in Barisal and Bongla districts for smoother and more effective transportation of relief materials to remote areas. (The Daily Star, Nov. 22)
At the Disaster Emergency Response (DER) group meeting Thursday, relief leaders divided the response effort into six clusters and the Health Cluster, chaired by the WHO, will hold its first meeting on Sunday (November 25) in Dhaka to discuss the health situation in affected districts and try to improve the response to it as reported cases of diarrheal illness rise. (DMIC, Nov. 23) Next DER meeting will be held Tuesday (Nov. 27). For further information regarding clusters, please see LCG Disaster Emergency Response – Cyclone Updates Website: www.lcgbangladesh.org/derweb/cyclone_updates.php (OCHA, Nov. 25)
Road communications to government centers of all of the cyclone-affected districts had been restored by Thursday, except in Morolganj district. The Power Division had restored power supply to 48 of the 56 affected government offices nationwide. Diesel-run generators have been sent to some worst-affected areas, including Patharghata and Shoronkhola. Power supply is anticipated to be fully restored by November 30. Land-phone connections in nine districts remained disconnected Thursday because of the electricity problems and the collapse of a tower. All land-phone connections should be restored by November 27. All affected government offices have been supplied with connected cell phones. Twenty-eight of BangladeshÕs 44 ferries were taken out of commission by the storm, but services for 13 of the ferries had been restored by Wednesday. (The Daily Star, Nov. 22)
Many news sources have reported that villagers in the most remote, impoverished areas have been complaining about a lack of government help and have said they believe the death toll is far higher than reported. Fighting broke out Wednesday in at least two overcrowded government-run relief camps in Purba Saralia and Basal Bar villages, where there was reportedly not enough food for all of the displaced. (AP, Nov. 21) Helicopters, planes, boats and thousands of ground troops and aid workers have been involved in the struggle to access these areas, some of which are only accessible by boat because coastal Bangladesh is a maze of waterways, creeks, islands and sandbanks. Vital relief items including tents, rice and water have been slow to reach people in those areas. The AFD has made available 12 sea-going ships, 12 helicopters and two aircrafts for rescue missions and relief operations by about 3,000 military personnel. (The New Nation, Nov. 21)
BangladeshÕs Army Chief, Gen. Moeen U Ahmed, visited Sharankhola, has assured all possible help from the GoB and announced Tuesday that a floating medical hospital would be set up off the coast and each family of those killed in the cyclone would receive about US$143 (10,000 taka) and funeral assistance from the government. (Xinhua, Nov. 20) The Bangladeshi Navy and Coast Guard have begun work on rebuilding homes as they continue to help civil officials remove trees from blocked roads. (Reuters, Nov. 20) The Bangladesh Air Force has distributed an estimated 300 tons of relief goods so far. (OCHA, Nov. 23)
Early warning and preparedness systems were in place based on the initial tracking of the storm over the Bay of Bengal for seven days prior to the impact and are being credited with saving many lives.
National Response
The Bangladeshi Rural Advancement Committee (BRAC) says areas visited on November 20-21 include Shoronkhola and Morrelganj in Bagerhat and Khulna Division in Southwest Bangladesh. BRAC is giving out 10kg of rice to each family. The whole process from 'food to field' takes 24 hours or less on average, BRAC says. BRAC wants to ensure a regular supply of drinking water within the next 2-3 days. The Army and civil administration as well as charities like Muslim Aid and the Scouts are all tackling this problem together. BRAC is focusing on mid-term solutions and treating the ponds that have become contaminated - where people normally get their drinking water from. BRAC is also fixing the damaged pond sand filters and are fixing about four each day. (BRAC, Nov. 22) BRAC is decontaminating primary sources of drinking water in the worst affected areas. (OCHA, Nov. 25)
The Bangladesh Red Crescent Society, with assistance from the International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), has deployed 4 assessment teams and 12 mobile health teams. At least 42,000 Red Crescent Society volunteers were said to be working in coastal areas as of Sunday. (Xinhua, Nov. 18) According to DMIC, the Bangladeshi Red Crescent Society has so far distributed US$840,000 worth of relief goods, including 10,200 blankets. It has also disturbed at least US$95,587 (6.4 million Bangladesh taka) to the 18 most affected districts. IFRC allocated CHF 250,000 (US$223,000) from the FederationÕs Disaster Relief Emergency Fund (DREF). (OCHA, Nov. 16) On Saturday, Red Crescent spokeswoman Nabiha Chowdhury said that water purification had become a top priority and that Red Crescent teams were equipped with resources to help people purify their water. (CNN Nov. 18) The Bangladesh Red Cross Society (BRCS) and IFRC provided 55 metric tons of food relief for 64,000 families in 15 of the most affected districts. IFRC and BRCS distributed 42,000 water purification tablets in four districts. IFRC and BRCS are distributing family packs of non-food items throughout 15 districts. (OCHA, Nov. 25)
International Response
The GoB has reportedly so far received offers of up to US$470 million worth of international emergency aid, an official told the AFP Saturday (November 24). Other estimates range from US$400 million to US$450 million. According to the UNOCHA Financial Tracking System, the total amount of received contributions and confirmed pledges are some US$122 million. (UNOCHA, Nov. 24)
United Nations
The United Nations Emergency Relief Coordinator released a second round of Central Emergency Relief Fund (CERF) allocations in the amount of US$5.92 million for activities in heath, telecommunications, emergency shelter and non-food items on November 21, bringing the total to US$14.7 million. This is in addition to the initial CERF allocation of US$8.75 million for projects in agriculture, child protection, food, nutrition and water and sanitation disbursed on 19 November. (OCHA, Nov. 21)
OCHA says the UN Country Team in conjunction with the GoB has been managing the six clusters that have been formed in support of the overall response and recovery plan: 1) Food (led by the WFP), 2) Water and sanitation (UNICEF), 3) Health (WHO), 4) Shelter (IFRC), 5) Logistics (WFP), and 6) Early Recovery (UNDP). (OCHA, Nov. 23)
According to the UN Rapid Initial Assessment Report, food, shelter and cash are identified as the three highest priority areas for assistance. Sanitation and drinking water assistance is also badly needed. Restoration of communications and electricity are high priorities. Communications have been restored in most areas, however, the UN says that the same is not true of electricity. Transportation is also in need of support. (UN, Nov. 22)
The UN began procurement and distribution of 60,000 family kits, tube wells, 100,000 Jerry cans, 92 metric tons of baby food, 100,000 blankets, 60,000 family kits, 60,000 articles of childrenÕs clothing, 50,000 plastic sheets and US$1.5 million for medicine. US$50,000 has been made available for water, supplies and transportation. More relief will be made available following initial determination of needs, which is expected on November 22. (OCHA, Nov. 21)
According to the DMIC, the UN published a Rapid Initial Assessment report on the nine worst-affected districts. The report is available at: http://www.cdmp.org.bd/publications/Cyclone_Sidr_UN_Rapid_Initial_Assessment_Report.pdf (DMIC, Nov. 22)
Reports from the UN needs assessments of the storm-affected area are expected on November 21. On November 19, UN heads of agencies visited the worst affected districts to assess the situation. They met assessment and relief teams and confirmed that relief is reaching the farthest corners of the affected area. They also noted that material damage was severe and varied between regions, nevertheless there were indications of small-scale economic recovery. (OCHA, Nov. 20)
A high-level joint UN Mission on Tuesday (November 20) visited Patuakhali, Barguna and Bagerhat - three worst cyclone-affected districts. The members of the mission were Renata Lok Dessallien, UN resident coordinator, Louis-Georges Arsenault, UNICEF representative, Douglas Broderick, WFP representative, and Dr Marc Bellemans, FAO. (New Nation, Nov. 21)
Medical officers have been made available to assist government response, including four for coordinating central response. US$50,000 was made available for water and supplies and transportation. More relief will be made available following initial determination of needs. (OCHA, Nov. 20)
The UN is distributing 208 tons of high-energy biscuits to assist an estimated 850,000 cyclone affected people. 240,000 packets of water purifying powder are reaching 48,000 families. Shelter materials (thick polyesters) will also be distributed to 18,000 households whose houses were destroyed by the storms. Partners are currently distributing dry food (flattened rice and molasses) to 70,000 affected families. (OCHA, Nov. 20)
According to UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), a UN Disaster Assessment and Coordination (UNDAC) team has been stood down as the Government of Bangladesh (GoB) and UN Country teams and agencies are able to manage the disaster. (OCHA, Nov. 16)
Coordinated by the Disaster and Emergency Response (DER) group, a Joint UN Rapid Assessment Team comprised of 12 experts left Dhaka November 17 to assess affected areas that had not yet been covered. The team was made up of WHO, WFP, UNICEF and UNDP. (UNOCHA, Nov. 17) The DER, comprised of UN, GoB, and NGOs, has determined that dry food, water purification tablets and medicines have been identified as the most urgent needs. (UNICEF, Nov. 16)
OCHA Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific and two rapid Disaster Response Advisers are being deployed to assist the UN Country Team (UNCT) on the ground. (OCHA, Nov. 16)
The UN Development Program (UNDP) has pledged US$7 million in relief grants to Bangladesh. (The Daily Star, Nov. 19) UNDP plans to provide 5 kilograms of flattened rice and 1 kilogram of molasses per family for some 70,000 families in the districts of Patuakhali, Bagerhat, Borguna, Perojpur, Barisal, Jhalokathi, Satkhira, Khulna, Bhola, Noakhali, Chandpu and Madaripur through its partner organizations that include South Asian Partnership, Sushilan, Dhaka Ahsania Mission, Resource Integration Center, Prodipan, Bangladesh National Scouts, Rural Reconstruction Foundation, Village Education and Resource Center, Dip Unnayan Shanstha, Islamic relief and Shariatpur Development Society. UNDP also plans to provide 240,000 packets of water purification powder or one week supply for each family through Bangladesh National Scouts (BNS) in affected areas. About 18,000 sheets of tripol will also be distributed through BNS of which some 4,000 sheets will be ready for distribution in 48-72 hours. (DMIC, Nov-18)