Cyclone Sidr - Bangladesh

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Handicap International Continues to Supply Aid after Bangladesh Cyclone

Handicap International continues to provide crucial aid to the most affected areas of Bangladesh, after Cyclone Sidr struck the country on November 15. After helping to provide initial emergency relief, Handicap International Bangladesh carried out a formal assessment of the needs facing injured and disabled people in Patuakhali and Burgana, two of the most badly affected regions, on the 23rd of November. The assessment focused on assessing the medical needs of people with disabilities, and those who have sustained physical injuries, and supporting local institutions providing medical care and rehabilitation.

An emergency response team has also been sent to assess the long-term role of Handicap International in helping to make sure the needs of disabled people are a key part of relief efforts.

Packing winds of up to 220Kph, Cyclone Sidr struck the Southern Coast of Bangladesh on the evening of the 15th of November. The storm caused extensive damage in 30 of Bangladesh’s 64 districts and the Government of Bangladesh estimates the death toll at 3,000 with a further 30,000 injured.

The Cyclone has also wiped out huge swathes of crops and farmland, and aid efforts have been hampered by damage to roads across the country. Early assessment data from the UN has stressed the importance of providing food, clean water and shelter with longer term goals focusing on rehabilitation of livelihoods, housing, health and educational services. The UN rapid Assessment Team believes that immediate relief assistance should continue for up to three months.       

Please help directly support the emergency relief efforts of Handicap International in Bangladesh. Please mention the Bangladesh appeal when making your donation.

Donations may be made:
Online
By Phone: 0870 774 3737
By Post:
Handicap International UK
Waterman House
101-107 Chertsey Road
Woking, Surrey
GU21 5BW

Handicap International Responds to Emergency in Bangladesh

Following the devastation of Cyclone Sidr, Handicap International is taking urgent action to ensure that the needs of disabled people are a key part of emergency relief efforts. While continually reassessing the situation on the ground, Handicap International is specifically intervening in the following areas: treating the injured and disabled, raising awareness among emergency stakeholders regarding the specific needs of people with disabilities, distributing basic necessities, and providing temporary shelter.

The southern coast of Bangladesh was hit by Cyclone Sidr on Thursday 15 November, killing thousands and devastating the lives of millions more. Handicap International, present on the ground in Bangladesh for ten years, immediately sent a team to the area. Handicap International's initial report suggests a major short and medium-term need to treat and monitor the injured and people with disabilities. As countless people struggle to cope with the loss of their homes and belongings, the distribution of non-food items, such as basic cooking and hygiene supplies, also remains urgent.

Handicap International will be working with other organisations in Bangladesh to ensure that emergency relief and support efforts consider the specific needs of people with disabilities. In the present circumstances all victims of the cyclone are finding it difficult to access emergency aid, although this is particularly true for people with reduced mobility and people with disabilities. In the months to come these needs must continue to be recognised in rebuilding efforts.
Handicap International has operated in Bangladesh since 1997, working to ensure the effective care and wider recognition of the rights of people with disabilities. This ongoing work is set against a background of severe poverty and frequent natural disasters. Since the major flooding that affected the region in 2004, Handicap International has been working to prepare the population for natural disasters, particularly emphasising an awareness of people with disabilities. The association is currently building a hospital boat in Bangladesh – the Arunima, which will offer care to people with disabilities living in the most isolated areas of the country.

Please help directly support the emergency relief efforts of Handicap International in Bangladesh. Please mention the Bangladesh appeal when making your donation.

Donations may be made:
Online
By Phone: 0870 774 3737
By Post:
Handicap International UK
Waterman House
101-107 Chertsey Road
Woking, Surrey
GU21 5BW