The New Nation - Internet Edition

Staff Reporter

The development partners of Bangladesh have assured of providing grants in aid of the people affected by the catastrophic cyclone `Sidr' that ripped through south and southwestern region of the country on Thursday midnight.

Food and Disaster Management acting secretary Dr M Ayub Miah informed this after a meeting at the ministry yesterday with the representatives of 42 development agencies and UN organizations.

While narrating the havoc left by the tropical cyclone on Thursday midnight, he said some 27.44 lakh people in 20 districts of the country have more or less been affected by the devastating cyclone. Of them, 12 districts have been identified worst affected. All these worst affected districts located on the southern coast. Besides, the severe storm destroyed 500,000 dwellings in the affected districts, except Jhalakati, Barguna and Madaripur.

"We have been making close contact with the administration of the affected districts to know about the extent of damage," he said.

Dr Ayub Miah said rescue operations in the affected districts needed to be continued. Besides, burial of dead bodies and distribution of relief materials are essential.

Among the donor agencies, he said, UNDP would provide US$7 million while World Food Programme (WFP) allocated 10,000 metric tons of rice and 200 tons of high protein biscuits. WFP has food for 400,000 people for three days only.

Other assurances include US$ 5.3 million by UNICEF, US$ 5 million by the UK government, US$ 2.1 million and 35 tons of rice by USAID, 4 million pound sterling by Islamic Relief-UK and 5,000 Euro by Spain.

WFP has already started distributing 78 metric tons of high protein biscuits while the UNDP is providing water purification tablets.

Some other organisations, including the Canadian government, would provide assistance after assessing the extent of damage caused by the cyclone, said the Disaster Management secretary.

According to the government statistics, the death toll the cyclone rose to 1,814 till 8am yesterday.

The hurricane "Sidr" affected 20 districts, including 12 worst affected, and some 27.44 lakh people.

Meanwhile, thousands of cyclone-affected men, women and children are waiting to get relief in southern districts.

The rescue workers say that as waters recede, they expect to find scores more bodies when remote villages are finally reached and the counting is done.

They face debris-blocked roads, no electricity and almost nonexistent communications.

Vince Edwards, national director of the relief agency World Vision in Bangladesh, said the high wind speeds of Cyclone Sidr have laid waste to the all-important rice crop and caused a huge loss of livestock.

He said 280,000 families have been rendered homeless by the cyclone, but many have been able to get shelter from family members.

World Vision is deploying 135 staffers and 7,000 volunteers to provide food, shelter and other relief. The group is appealing for $1.5 million in further funds to assist some 9.300 families rebuild their homes.

"From an infrastructure perspective, the country absolutely has been brought to its knees," he said.

Red Crescent spokeswoman Nabiha Chowdhury said that communication with her agency's teams who have arrived in the stricken area is spotty, but they have resources with them to immediately help people with water purification, which she said was a top priority.

Those teams have cash with them to buy relief supplies from local wholesalers, said Chowdhury, who said the latest number of people injured was 15,000 with 1,000 missing. Chowdhury said about 600,000 people had fled, adding that about 2 million people lived along the coast.

The UN World Food Programme said it has enough high-energy biscuits to feed 400,000 people for several days.

Another humanitarian group, Save The Children, appealed for aid from the public.

"Many families have lost everything, including their homes and their crops, and they are struggling to survive," said Kelly Stevenson, Save the Children's Bangladesh director.

"We are appealing to the US public to support our efforts to assist children and families affected by this disaster. We remain very concerned about possible outbreaks of cholera and severe diarrhea due to the lack of access to clean water," he said in a written statement.

US President George Bush pledged Saturday $2.1 million for emergency relief as an "initial contribution," and said in a statement that two U.S. Navy carriers, the USS Essex and the USS Kearsarge, were en route to Bangladesh to assist in operations there.

"The United States is committed to helping the people of Bangladesh and their government as they face the many challenges of rebuilding and recovering," Bush said.

Furthermore, Bush said, USAID will airlift 35 tons plastic sheeting, jerricans, hygiene kits and other non-food supplies to the country. And an 18-person Department of Defense medical team in Bangladesh prior to the storm is helping with current medical needs, Bush said in the statement

Meanwhile, Pope Benedict XVI has joined calls yesterday for relief and aid to victims of a deadly cyclone that hit Bangladesh, saying "every possible effort" must be made during his traditional Sunday blessing.

The Pope said, "I encourage every possible effort to help our brothers who have been so sorely tested."

The Philippines will send a medical team to Bangladesh to help relief efforts after a powerful cyclone, a presidential aide said yesterday.

President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo extended her "deepest sympathy and compassion to the people of Bangladesh" and ordered Health Secretary Francisco Duque to form the medical team, said Cerge Remonde, chief of the Presidential Management Staff.

Duque said the group - which would probably include five doctors, four nurses and a psychiatrist - could leave as early as Wednesday.