WESTPORT, Conn. (June 1, 2009) — Save the Children is addressing acute water shortages and other needs endangering many of the approximately 9 million people affected by Cyclone Aila, which hit southwestern Bangladesh and eastern India on May 25 and killed close to 300 people.

The floodwaters have partially receded, but some villages remain underwater, others are flooded twice daily with the high tide, and seawater contamination of freshwater supplies is a widespread problem. In Bangladesh, Save the Children is operating five water treatment plants and is distributing tens of thousands of gallons of purified water daily. Diarrhea and other waterborne diseases are a major concern, with young children among the most vulnerable.

Children dry books after flooding from the cyclone. Credit: REUTERS/Jayanta Shaw courtesy alertnet.org

"We're hearing that cases of diarrhea are on the rise and several deaths have already been reported. The lack of clean water presents an extremely urgent situation, especially for children," said Ned Olney, vice president for Save the Children's global humanitarian response. "However, clean water is only the most pressing of a long list of needs. Many families still have no access to food supplies, and in the longer term they will have to cope with the loss of their homes, livelihoods, crops and livestock."

In India, 500 hundred people — mostly children — took shelter in Save the Children's Sandeshkali offices where they were able to receive food. Many of these children had participated in Save the Children's anti-trafficking programs, and Save the Children fears that children will be more vulnerable to exploitation now, as they were after flooding in Bihar last year.

Thousands of people remain marooned one week after the cyclone, and many have yet to receive any clean water, food, or assistance. In Bangladesh, Save the Children was able to reach the outlying island of Char Fasson and provide food to 260 children and family members.

More than a Million Homes Damaged or Destroyed in India and Bangladesh

Save the Children continues to assess the needs and develop its response in affected areas in India and Bangladesh. In Bangladesh, Save the Children has thus far delivered 5,000 oral rehydration packets and has prepositioned 10,000 kits with replacement household items that it plans to distribute soon. Save the Children also is working to establish 100 child friendly spaces where children can play, receive healthy meals and health services, and reestablish a sense of routine and security.

Government officials have reported that Cyclone Aila affected 5.1 million people in India and 3.7 million in Bangladesh, and at least half of the survivors are children. Many are now homeless, as 600,000 homes in India and almost 565,000 homes in Bangladesh have been reported destroyed or damaged.

Save the Children needs your support to help meet the most critical needs of children and families in the wake of Cyclone Aila. Your donation will help provide drinking water, food distribution and other necessities.

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Save the Children has been working in Bangladesh since 1972 and began working in India prior to independence. The agency, which implements disaster risk-reduction programs in addition to conducting emergency relief efforts around the world and in the United States, also provided relief and assisted with recovery efforts after Cyclone Sidr swept through Bangladesh in November 2007.

Learn more about our programs in Bangladesh

Read about Save the Children's response to Cyclone Sidr

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Save the Children is the leading independent organization that creates lasting change for children in need in the United States and around the world. Save the Children USA is a member of the International Save the Children Alliance, a global network of 27 independent Save the Children organizations working to ensure the well-being and protection of children in more than 120 countries. Follow us on Twitter and Facebook.