Clean drinking water, provided by Save the Children, is distributed to residents of Chandraprosad, Bhola District in Bangladesh on November 19, 2007. Save the Children / David Greedy

Rebuilding Lives After Cyclone Sidr: 6 months on

On November 15, Cyclone Sidr struck the southern coast of Bangladesh, killing more than 3,000 people, destroying more than 300,000 homes and closing thousands of schools.

Save the Children, which pre-positioned supplies and emergency response staff in the path of the cyclone before it struck, has reached more than 130,000 families in eight of the hardest hit districts.

"The storm continues to have a devastating impact on children and families, directly affecting more than 2.5 million people, according to government estimates," said Save the Children's Bangladesh country director Kelly Stevenson. "The storm washed away countless homes, scattered families throughout the region, and in some cases, separated children from their parents, putting them at risk of abuse and exploitation."

"While many survived the cyclone itself, thousands of children and families still lack of clean water, food, shelter and medical supplies, greatly increasing their risk of malnutrition, diarrhea and other diseases," Stevenson said. "We must continue to support survivors recover from the loss and damage in the aftermath of this disaster. 

Much of the region's rice crop has been destroyed, leaving up to 3 million people at risk of food shortages over the next six months. Children's health and access to education and families' loss of income are also of great concern. Recognizing the long term needs of the families affected by the disaster, the agency will be developing recovery programs focused on restoring livelihoods, education, health, nutrition and protection.

Since the storm struck Save the Children has distributed food rations to over 65,000 families and household items including plastic sheeting, water containers, and Halo water purification tabs to over 11,000 families as well as 28,000 oral rehydration packets to treat basic diarrhea. The agency has distributed 2.6 million high energy biscuit packets and has set up three water purification plants to serve thousands of families in need of clean drinking water. The agency also has opened child friendly spaces in 53 areas where children can gather and play in a place where they will be safe and supervised. 

Save the Children, which assisted in the large-scale evacuation of families in the region, is coordinating with local authorities. The agency has dispatched 21 teams to assist in relief and long term recovery efforts. Prior to the storm, the agency deployed equipment, including zodiac rescue boats, to the impact area, and mobilized food and water-purification resources. 

Save the Children has been working in Bangladesh since 1972 and in recent years has worked closely with local and national authorities to prepare coastal communities for a severe cyclone. The agency conducted emergency cyclone drills for some 10,000 residents living in the area where the cyclone struck as part of its own preparations. 

Stevenson said that extensive emergency preparations saved tens of thousands of lives despite the tremendous destructive force of the cyclone that hit the coast with the same intensity as a storm that killed 140,000 people in Bangladesh in 1991. Read More

Read more about Save the Children's response in Bangladesh

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