Fri 16 Nov 2007
1. Bangladesh Ravaged By Massive Cyclone Sidr . Hundreds of human lives are lost. The death toll is rising every passing hour as news keeps trickling in.
2. So far 587 687 693 1000 1595 are believed/reported dead.
3. Hundreds of densely inhabited islands around the Genges delta and northern Bay of Bengal so far remain unaccounted for.
4. Unprecedented damage to property and cattlehead are being reported from Bhola ( eye of 1970 Bhola Cyclone) and other southern districts in Bangladesh. Aerial footages show that miles after miles, villages after villages have been turned into a total rubble. It feels like 10,000 tornados simulteniously ravaged a 200 mile radius area.
Photo: AFP
5. While all form of communication including electricity, telecommunication, road-river transportation remain disrupted in the southern Bangladesh, rest of Bangladesh remains under darkness
6. As the category 4 cyclone had its landfall near Sundarban, irreparable damage have been done to the flora and fauna in the Sundarbans. It will take many years to know how mnay of several hundred Bengal tigers survived the 20 feet tidal waves.
7. Although the capital city of Dhaka ( around 100 miles inland) historically was never affected by bay of Bengal storms, this time Dhaka has been badly affected. Several death have already been reported from Dhaka, mostly by tree or building collapse. [ On apersonal note: a very nostalgic and loved spot of mine was the bat tala, benyan Shade inside PG Hospital / BSMMU campus. That 100 year old benyan tree has been uprooted by the storm, keeping a security guard trapped under it for four hours]. Hundreds of thoyusands of much needed greenery around bangladesh has been destroyed. Dhaka has no power supply all day. Non stop rain and sudden drop in temperature have made the life of the homeless people more miserable.
Update:
This email was sent from Dhaka earlier tonight,
… entire country is without electricity for last 24 hrs! We started getting power for an hour from 10:30PM tonight & no cable connection is available . Dhaka is like a deserted ghost city with everything closed even including the gas stations ! I tried to get to the net from my pocket PC couple of times but couldn’t get any net connectivity ! Lets hope that things are back to normal tomorrow .
Update 2:
Rezwan has an excellent round up of experiences from Bangladesh and analysis from abroad.
[Cross posted in rumiahmed.wordpress.com]
November 16th, 2007 at 4:26 pm
The news of approaching cyclone Sidr brought the Bhola cyclone in mind right away that took half a million souls in November 12, 1970. The timing and the strength of both storms are almost identical. Time and technology has changed in 37 years but I was unable to fool my mind to think that there would be no casualty. After all, nothing compares to nature’s wrath and where do we shelter away so many lives in our tiny landmass? By the time I finish writing this, the death tool has already risen to well over 700 and counting…
Let’s pray for those men that went to the seas with the fishing boats to earn livelihood for their families ashore and never returned.
Let’s pray for those innocent children that came in the path of the storm unable to fight it with their tiny bodies.
Let’s pray for those helpless women that fell victim for their uncompromising efforts to save the lives of their offspring and whatever little they had in their possession.
Let’s pray for every men, women and children that are directly or indirectly affected by Sidr.
Let’s pray for our beloved Bangladesh.
November 16th, 2007 at 4:55 pm
At least 1,100 people in Bangladesh were killed, the Associated Press said today, citing the United News of Bangladesh. At least 1,000 fishermen were missing, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said today in an e-mailed statement. Some 3.2 million people fled to the country’s highlands or went to shelters, the UN agency said.
November 17th, 2007 at 12:29 am
In addition to the death toll and proerty loss, this cyclone is going to affect the late autumn / early winter crop. This would aggravate an already dire food price inflation.
November 17th, 2007 at 1:08 am
Where can we find a list of reliable private agencies working on helping the victims. Some expatriates here are trying to raise some money…
November 17th, 2007 at 4:23 am
U.S. Sends Ships After Cyclone Devastates Bangladesh (Update1)
By Gavin Evans and Shailendra Bhatnagar
Nov. 17 (Bloomberg) — Two U.S. Navy amphibious assault ships are on their way to Bangladesh after Tropical Cyclone Sidr slammed into the Ganges Delta, killing at least 1,100 people and making thousands more homeless.
The USS Essex and USS Kearsarge, each carrying helicopters, hovercraft and equipped with hospital facilities, have been dispatched, pending a formal request for help from the Bangladesh authorities, said Major David Griesmer, spokesman for the U.S. Pacific Command in Hawaii.
More ships may be made available once Bangladeshi officials know what they need, he said.
The two vessels have “the capabilities that we think will prove to be the most useful,” he said. “It may take several days for the government to work out what it really needs.”
November 17th, 2007 at 4:43 am
UN humanitarian chief says millions in aid available to Bangladesh after cyclone
1. The damage to livelihood, housing and crops from Sidr will be «extremely severe,» said John Holmes, the U.N. undersecretary-general for humanitarian affairs. Speaking to reporters at U.N. headquarters in New York, Holmes said the world body was making millions of dollars in aid available to Bangladesh.
2. Germany gives $293,000 in aid to cyclone-hit Bangladesh
BERLIN: Germany has released $293,000 in emergency relief aid to Bangladesh where a devastating cyclone has killed hundreds of people, the foreign ministry announced on Friday.
The money will go to German relief organisations working in cooperation with local partners to alleviate suffering caused by Cyclone Sidr, said the ministry statement.
3. Government of Ireland
Michael Kitt TD, Minister of State for Overseas Development, today announced that Irish Aid will make up to €500,000 available to assist those affected by the devastating cyclone in Bangladesh.
4. The World Food Programme sent 98 metric tons of emergency food rations for 400,000 people.
5. UNICEF is planning to supply safe water, medicine, and food to the millions affected by Cyclone Sidr in Bangladesh.
6. BRUSSELS, Nov. 16 (Xinhua) — The European Commission released here Friday 1.5 million euros (about 2.1 million U.S. dollars) in fast-track aid to help victims of Cyclone Sidr which struck Bangladesh Thursday evening.
Louis Michel, the European Commissioner responsible for Development and Humanitarian Aid, said: “This is a major tragedy with hundreds already known to have died and hundreds of thousands suffering from this disaster.”
7. International Federation of Red Crescent has allocated CHF 250,000 from the Federation’s Disaster Relief Emergency Fund (DREF) to respond to urgent needs ahead of the results and recommendations of ongoing assessments.
IFRC launched a preliminary emergency appeal for US$ 3.5 million in cash, kind, or services to support the Bangladesh Red Crescent Society to assist 235,000 beneficiaries for a period of 9 months.
November 17th, 2007 at 4:53 am
[Apologies in advance for Dhaka city-centric nature of this post]
Yesterday evening ended up on DU campus. No light anywhere, electric lines everywhere on the ground. Somehow no one has fear of electrocution. As I tried to sidestep the electric repair workers who were swinging wires wildly, trying to get them back up, a friend said “Chinta korish na, electricity ashthe deri ache, anyway those are coated lines.” With water everywhere I wasn’t so reassured.
In the middle of breakdown, life goes on…? Although most regular programs were cancelled, two art openings happened, although in a somber mood. One in a Dhanmondi gallery, one on University campus. The latter by candle light. Eerie mood. Some muted criticism from one audience, but someone else replied “Tho opening cancel korei ba ki hobe? Shei shomoi ta the ki relief work korben?” Reminds me of the Lebanese in wartime.
Absolutely no news except word of mouth. 24th hour of a nationwide electric grid outage, we all realize how fragile the city’s core is. Electricity went at 11 pm the night before. Then you start remembering how many houses use pumps to pull water up– WASA has for years failed to maintain water pressure to deliver water to 17 million residents of Dhaka (the infrastructure cannot support more than 7 million, my guess). So pumps stop working gradually. Water everywhere, but no water actually. Without electrity no CNG pumps working (not sure why?), cars are stalling or running on petrol, but most don’t have backup petrol anyway. Next thing, you realize there is no TV, so you can’t get any news. BTV went off air for 3 hours, but we never knew until we read it in the papers today. Well that says something about BTV. Around 7 pm, slight anxiety chill as cell phones start running out of juice. One friend goes all the way home to charge his cell for 10 minutes, off the IPS that is dying. Our IPS is long dead. These are of course all entirely the concern of city dwellers, coastal people have far far more pressing worries than an uncharged mobile phone…please. But there’s talk of the ripple effect. Around 8 pm I realize we need candles. Start going to all the shops, it’s much too late. “Bhai, amar mombati dokan kholar 10 minute er modhe bikri.” “Kothao pabo?” “Goli bhi bhitor paibar paren.”
In one shop, everyone crowded around TV. Grameenphone has just announced their networks will start going down after 10 pm. Their base stations have been running for more than 24 hours on backup generator. One belligerent man says loudly “bhalo hoise shala, shob cell phone company gula ektu bondho thakuk, shanti pai.” He appears to be drunk (koi pailo? Manju r basha e?). Another man says “baje kotha koyyen na, poribar er khoj nimu na?” But what did people do before the age of cell phones? In ten years there are 30 million subscribers, an astronomically high growth rate (the reason why VCs now consider Bangladesh one of the 5 “hottest” markets for telco)– result, we are paralyzed without mobiles.
How easy it is for an entire country’s grid to be snapped in a moment. The other day, after the Submarine Cable for national Internet link was snapped for 14 hours, a lot of companies wanted to know why there was no backup system for the national internet grid. No answer came, but now that vulnerability plays out again on electricity, water, phone.
Anyway, I detect among candle shoppers a strange fatalism tough spirit. People are worried about the crops and the farmers and the victims, but they know deep down inside that the electricity/water/ will come back.
I run into few friends, out on the same expedition. We stand on the footpaths and talk for a while, then I start walking home. I am wondering what people in the south are doing right now, in the darkness shine.
November 17th, 2007 at 8:02 am
An elephant pushes a stranded bus as it is employed to clear a road in Barishal, 120 kilometers, (75 miles) south of Bangladesh’s capital Dhaka, Friday, Nov. 16, 2007. A cyclone slammed into Bangladesh’s coast with 240 kph (150 mph) winds, killing at least 242 people, leveling homes and forcing the evacuation of 650,000 villagers before heading inland and losing power Friday, officials said. (AP Photo/Pavel Rahman
November 17th, 2007 at 10:09 am
[...] I won’t even try to write about what I, and many others like me who are cut off from home, are feeling. Instead, I’ll direct the reader to this Dhaka-bashi. [...]
November 17th, 2007 at 10:00 pm
such a tragedy! please send your us dollars to the red crescent and other NGO’s, and support the CTG in its efforts to reshape bangladesh.
November 22nd, 2007 at 6:00 am
The people of Bangladesh are very reslient and those affected by such a devastation are already rebuilding their homes with whatever they have. The people have learnt to face these natural disasters and overcome them. Unfortunately we are yet to understand the complicacy of human made disasters in the form of corruption, nepotism, murder and genocides. Once we get rid of those the nation as a whole can move forwards.
Not only all the Bangladeshis are extending their helping hands to the hurricane SIDR affected people but people from all over the world are coming forward with concern and assistance.
Bangladesh has over the years have learnt how to face these natural disaters and it has been proven once again this time. We have become great disater managers hopefully soon we will learn to manage our country to move forawrd.
February 19th, 2008 at 10:44 am
We, a team of CIPRB carried out exploratory research on Disaster and Injury Care Preparedness and Response in the SIDR affected area in Bangladesh: An experiential Analysis’. It was both qualitative and Quantitative study where two Upazila e.g Pathargata and Zianagar were selected purposively those were severely affected from Barisal division. It has been revealed that there was seldom addressed the mass casulties and its proper health care in the mass media, talk show and different seminar and discussions by the ‘Disaster Expert’. But we have revealed through our research there was very lack of emergency management in the cyclone affected areas in the disaster Preparedness coordination meeting under the high official of Disaster management committee. We also found that about all the deaths were occurred due to injuries that were from drowning and getting strike from debris and other fallen trees. The Quantitative survey showed that in every houses there were atleast a person who injured severely. There was universal comment that all most people did not receive medical care even after two days of its stroke and a few got treatment for injuries who were very close to upazila health complex. But it has been identified that people those who lived in remote ares, 15 tp 20 km far from growth centres were severely affected and most of the deaths were occurred there. It has been opined that the people got injury care after two or three days when different medical team of from home abroad reached there.
It has also been identified among the survivors most of the women and adolescent girls and people with disability could not seek health care due to lack of female health care providers, remaining busy with rearing children and collection of food and water for their survived other family members. The health care managers, providers trained and untrained and community leaders agreed that there was lack of undestanding about the necessitiy of emergency health care and its necessity of inclusion in the disaster preparedness in Bangladesh as in the very beginning people had great need of such medical cares but they did not get. There will have many people with permanent disability as adverse consequences of lack of proper injury care in the golden hour and day of casualties handled. Some policy recommendations and suggestions were elicited by the Disaster experts ( National and international), Health care policy makers and renowned NGo pesonnel that our Disaster Preparedness must include injury care and develop personnel in the emergency health care management in the upazila and district level hospital as well as in the community level. They also opined that long term relief and rehabilitation program must include injury care for those who severely injured but still now among the donors, policy makers and disaster experts they are very lack in such endeavors. Principal Investigator: Dr. Fazlur Rahman, PhD., Co-Investigators: Dr. Aminur Rahman, Dr. Sydur Rahman Mashreky and Md. A. Halim Miah. For details please contact: CIPR,B, House-226, Road-15 Lake road, New DOHS, Mohakhali, Dhaka, http://www.ciprb.org