At least 16 dead and thousands of houses destroyed in an area inhabited by 3.75 million people. More than 9,000 shelters have been installed by the government to accommodate the displaced, while electricity lines and connections remain cut in many areas. The local Caritas is mobilizing to face the first emergency.
Dhaka () – Bangladesh is taking stock of the victims and damage left by Cyclone Remal – the first of the year to anticipate the monsoon season – which hit 19 coastal districts of the country for more than 14 hours, killing at least to 16 people. Some 160,000 houses were completely or partially destroyed, and 3.75 million people were affected. Houses and trees were uprooted, hundreds of villages were flooded by the tides and thousands of shrimp cages were washed away. Due to heavy rains, waterlogging has occurred in several parts of the country and landslides are also feared.
Waterways have been disrupted in Bhola, Barisal, Noakhali, Lakshmipur and Chandpur as well as road communication at several places. Many areas in at least ten districts, including Satkhira, Pirojpur, Patuakhali and Bhola, have been left without shelter and electricity, causing severe hardship to the people. Yesterday, the rains also spread to other parts of the country, including the capital Dhaka, causing flooding here as well.
Food is scarce and women, children and the elderly are the most threatened. Disaster experts have called for increased public and private humanitarian aid to quickly return people in danger to normal life. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has announced that she will soon visit the cyclone-affected areas.
Among the victims, in Patuakhali one person was swept away by the tide and two others died from falling trees. In Barisal, two people died when the wall of a building collapsed and another was crushed by a tree. In Khulna, a tree fell on a house and killed one person. A pedestrian was killed when the wall of a building under construction collapsed in Chittagong. A 7-year-old boy died after being trapped in a tin house destroyed by strong winds in Lakshmipur’s Ramganj. A worker was electrocuted by water accumulated on the road in Jatrabari, Dhaka.
Secretary of State for Disaster Management and Relief Mohibbur Rahman said 9,424 shelters had been opened in coastal areas, and more than 800,000 people had found shelter. Thousands of livestock (cows, buffaloes, goats and sheep) were also lost.
Caritas Bangladesh also distributed, together with the Government, 2,500 packages of dry food to cyclone shelters. In addition, Caritas distributed cash aid, hygiene kits and first aid kits to numerous families, as an immediate support action, within the framework of the Early Action project.
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