Cyclone Sidr Report...

This story was published internally. Not my best work, by far, nevertheless...

On the 15^th of November, 2007, Bangladesh became the centre of the world’s attention, if only briefly, as Cyclone Sidr, with winds of up to 150 mph, swept through the poorest areas of the poorest country in the world.

This has been a devastating year for Bangladesh. Two major floods, only a few months apart, had crippled much of the country’s precious agricultural resources. Homes had been damaged and destroyed, villagers displaced, lives lost. Land, cattle, belongings, security had been stripped from those who could least afford it.

On the 24th of November, Habitat for Humanity International – Bangladesh dispatched an Assessment Team to Patuakhali District, one of the worst affected, in order to determine the possible responses and partnerships which could take place.

The impact of the cyclone was clear; houses either overturned or completely destroyed, rickshaws trampled as if made from cardboard, branches and debris strewn over fields no longer viable to produce crops.

The Assessment Team made its way from village to village, sometimes on motorcycle, often walking due to the condition of road, swept away in parts from the force of the water thrown about by the Cyclone’s winds.

In one village, I met Imran, father of two, and farmer in a small village situated on the banks of a river. Accompanied by several locals kind enough to translate for me, Imran led me through the village, pointing out the extent of damage caused by Sidr. Unfortunately, there was no lack of evidence to see.

Most of the villagers had lost their homes. Where there had previously stood 5 houses, there was now a shallow pond, bits of wood and clothing and humble furnishings floating on the surface. Where a wooden home had stood only days before there was now only a simple cupboard to mark where a family had previously lived.

The village had made its living through agriculture; as Imran led the way it became apparent not many crops had survived the combination of wind and water. When I questioned Imran about the effectiveness of the make-shift levees between the river and the village, he shook his head and responded that the water did not simply rise over the levees, rather it was swept up and then dropped onto the village through the sheer force of the winds.

As we made our way back to the centre of the village, Imran continued to show me the remnants of houses, little shops, what used to be crop fields, even a Mosque which was now nothing but a cement block, all the remaining structure having been swept into the distance.

Along the way I was met with tear after tear; men, women and children were now living in makeshift shelters, made from debris gathered from the site of their original houses, seemingly in a daze and unsure of what to do next.

In spite of the damage and devastation, Imran still considered himself lucky. Through the now small army of interpreters, Imran said he felt blessed that no one had been killed, and only a handful of villagers had been hurt.

The same cannot be said for other parts of the country. The official number of deaths is listed at 2,982 people, however some 6.7 million are now understood to be heavily affected by the cyclone. As the death toll rises, so too do reports of the extent of the damage; 1,726 unions, of 200 Upazilas, forming part of 30 districts, have all suffered massive damage to houses, buildings, roads and embankments. Reports from the worst hit areas attributed the main cause of death to trees falling onto flimsy homes made of thatch, bamboo and tin. Over a million households and hectares of land worth billions of taka have been devastated.

As horrific as the short term damage has been, the effects of Cyclone Sidr will be felt long into the future. As of the 22^nd of November, 1,169,567 houses had been either partially or entirely destroyed. Entire crops have been lost; a devastating blow to those already at the edge of human suffering. Livestock has been virtually eradicated from many of these areas, further adding to the scale of this disaster. Without homes, without a source of income, with very limited to non-exist job opportunities available, the future looks bleak for the survivors of Cyclone Sidr.

In the short term, aid has been quick to arrive in Bangladesh. Emergency relief such as food, medical supplies and temporary accommodation in the form of plastic sheeting has been the predominant forms of humanitarian relief.

Significantly, much of the funds being distributed for this most recent disaster, as it has been for the floods, is being allocated to temporary emergency relief; just as with the aftermath of the floods, the international community is offering only short term responses to a country in desperate need of a medium to long-term strategy for substantial, proactive development.

Having collected stories, pictures and reports from the village, it was time for the Assessment Team to move on to our next potential project area. It was difficult to say good-bye to Imran; with so much need and so few resources available, guaranteeing a response is difficult at best.

Habitat for Humanity International – Bangladesh will begin construction of 3,000 transitional shelters in February 2008. With the support of donors and volunteers, Habitat can restore some normalcy in peoples lives, and ensure safety, stability and perhaps most importantly, a home for those who have lost so much.

By Pierre Johannessen.