CWS appeal: Bangladesh cyclone response
January 4, 2008
Cyclone Sidr hit the southern coast of Bangladesh November 15, leaving behind an enormous trail of devastation. The Category-5 storm made landfall on the Khulna and Barisal coasts with winds of up to 150 miles per hour.
The full extent of the destruction and loss of life caused by Sidr is not yet known, though initial estimates are that up to 4,000 people perished. In addition to the loss of life, the cyclone caused extensive damage to crops, houses, school buildings and roads, disrupting electricity and telecommunication systems and destroying water sources and water supplies. A complicating factor in recovery efforts has been the high level of saline and poison of the ground water and the water sources.
Some 1.5 million people are currently living in shelters and there is an immediate danger of water-borne diseases and epidemics. Immediate humanitarian needs include dry foods, clean drinking water and blankets.
CWS RESPONSE: CWS is supporting efforts of partner Christian Community Development of Bangladesh (CCDB) in a program that covers up to six months of work to end in June; a revised appeal will be issued later to include rehabilitation and post-crisis work.
The major aim of the CWS-sponsored program is to provide early recovery assistance to 5,000 households (some 25,000 persons) affected by the cyclone. Specifically, to assist vulnerable families with emergency food supplies; provide temporary shelter assistance and clothing; and to create immediate job opportunities for those affected.
These efforts include providing a food package consisting of rice (30 kg), pulses (6 kg), salt (2 kg) and cooking oil (2 liters) for the 5,000 families - enough food supplies for two weeks. In addition, CCDB is providing clothing items for some 2,500 families, including sharee (women's wear), lungi (men's wear) and children's garments, as well as bundles of plastic sheeting for 1,500 families and small cash assistance for those families to repair their houses.
The jobs/livelihood component consists of providing work to assist in cleanup and other rehabilitation tasks for 2,500 persons at ten days of work each.
Contributions to support this emergency appeal may be sent to your denomination or to: Church World Service, Appeal - Account #6995 (Bangladesh Cyclone Response), P.O. Box 968 Elkhart, IN 46515. Contributions may also be made by credit card online or by calling: (800) 297-1516, ext. 222
Media Contact:
Lesley Crosson, CWS/New York, 212-870-2676; lcrosson@churchworldservice.org Jan Dragin, 781-925-1526; jdragin@gis.net