OneWorld.net (U.S.)

Dhaka: More than four days after Cyclone Sidr ripped through the coastline of Bangladesh, wreaking carnage upon mostly poor coastal dwelling communities, the official death count now stands at just under 3,000 according to the latest government figures. However, estimates from other aid agencies put the death toll at more than 5,000.

Nearly half of the affected population are children and an estimated 400,000 of them are under the age of five.

Children are believed to number high amongst the casualties – many have drowned or have been injured by falling trees although no figures are as yet available.

With cold weather on the way children and women require urgent life-saving assistance such as medical supplies, food, clothing and shelter to be able to survive. Other critical priorities include ensuring access to a safe water supply and sanitation facilities to mitigate the threat of waterborne diseases such as cholera and dysentery, to which children are particularly susceptible – though as yet there have been no reports of any outbreaks.

Hundreds of villages have been razed to the ground or have literally ceased to exist. Electricity systems have failed throughout the country, cutting off channels of communication.

The infrastructural damage to houses, public buildings, schools and roads, is extensive. It is believed that 90 per cent of houses in the affected areas have been completely destroyed.

One of the government’s disaster preparedness measures included the evacuation of approximately 3.2 million people to safe places from along the coastline in 15 districts. Most of these people have lost their homes and are now internally displaced.

These estimates are based on rescue and field missions undertaken over the last three days and are bound to rise as the full extent of the destruction unfolds. To date many remote areas have yet to be reached.

Survivors are short of food and water as the Bangladesh Army and relief agencies try and access the affected areas under extraordinarily difficult conditions to deliver urgently needed humanitarian aid.

Currently a total of 732 medical teams are functioning in the affected districts. As yet there is no complete picture of damage to schools and educational institutes but so far 792 have been destroyed, and 4,393 partially damaged.

Worst affected areas

The number of cyclone affected districts has risen to 21 with the Government identifying Bagerhat, Patuakhali, Barguna, Pirojpur, Barisal, Jhalkhathi, Bhola, Madaripur, Gopalgonj, Shariatpur, Khulna, Satkhira as the worst affected with the following sub-districts classified as the most badly hit according to the latest assessments:

Bagerhat District: Sarankhola, Morelgonj Patuakhali District: Kalapara, Galachipa, Mirgagonj Barguna District: Amtali, Patharghata Pirojpur District: Bhandaria, Mathbaria Jhalokhathi District: Kathalia

UNICEF response

UNICEF has taken action to provide long term psychosocial support to 30,000 children in the 6 most affected districts. An assessment is being done with NGO partners and Save the Children USA to identify children displaced/separated/distressed from the cyclone.

Two NGO partners have 150 facilitators and volunteers with 300 recreational kits – who are ready to take immediate action for the protection of a minimum 3,000 most vulnerable children.

In case of distressed children, a referral system will be established with specialized agencies.

Source: UNICEF