Save the Children Seeks Immediate Support for Cyclone Survivors in Bangladesh

Tens of thousands of families in Bangladesh--including many children--are in immediate need of assistance after surviving the worst cyclone of the past decade, according to Save the Children's emergency team responding to the disaster.

Emergency responders on the scene report that extensive emergency preparations saved tens of thousands of lives despite a fierce cyclone that struck the southwestern coast of Bangladesh on Thursday with strength similar to a storm that killed 140,000 people in Bangladesh in 1991.

While the death toll is much lower than in 1991, the cyclone still has impacted hundreds of thousands of people, destroying more that 40,000 homes, killing well over 1,000 people, shutting down electric power for a million people and creating serious health problems for survivors, especially in low- lying areas.

"The good news is that many people have survived this disaster, especially compared to past cyclones, but the bad news is that most survivors on the coastal areas are left with nothing," said Save the Children Bangladesh Country Director Kelly Stevenson.

"Many families have lost everything, including their homes and their crops, and they are struggling to survive," Stevenson said. "We are appealing to the U.S. public to support our efforts to assist children and families affected by this disaster. We remain very concerned about possible outbreaks of cholera and severe diarrhea due to the lack of access to clean water."

Save the Children was one of few humanitarian agencies with emergency responders positioned in the path of the storm, remote and low-lying areas still recovering from extreme flooding last summer.

The agency has begun distributing thousands of essential items for survival including eating supplies, plastic sheeting, water containers, and basic treatment for diarrhea as well as thousands of blankets and 100,000 water purification tablets.

In one area Save the Children staff have used boats to ferry 2,000 liters of purified water across riverways to affected households. The agency also is operating three water ambulances to transfer injured patients to health facilities.

Save the Children, which assisted in the large-scale evacuation of families in the region, is coordinating with local authorities. The agency has dispatched 19 teams to assist in relief 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 an emergency cyclone drill for some 10,000 residents living in the area where the cyclone struck as part of its own preparations.

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 floods left nearly two-thirds of the country under water in June and July.

Save the Children, based in Westport, CT, can be reached at 1-800-728-3843, website: http://www.savethechildren.org

Our Address: 54 Wilton Road, Westport, CT, 06880