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SAVE
THE CHILDREN: THOUSANDS OF CYCLONE SURVIVORS STILL AT RISK IN BANGLADESH:
30/11/2007 (MaximsNews Network)
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UNITED NATIONS - / MaximsNews Network /
- 30 November 2007 -- Tens
of thousands of cyclone survivors in Bangladesh – many of them homeless
children – remain in critical need of food, water, shelter and medical
assistance nearly two weeks after the worst storm of the past decade struck the
country's southern coast, 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 on November 15, has reached more than 130,000 families in eight
of the hardest hit districts, but staff members report that tens of thousands of
families, including many children, are still in critical need of assistance.
[Donate
now to Save the Children's Response to Cyclone in Bangladesh.]
Many survivors from remote villages in
the Barguna district have left their homes and have headed to the main highway
to seek relief, Save the Children staff reported this week.
"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.
Nearly two weeks have passed, and thousands of survivors including children
remain injured and missing," he said.
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.
"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 reach as many survivors as quickly as possible. We are appealing to the U.S.
public to support our efforts to assist children and families affected by this
disaster."
Save the Children estimates that 50 to
90 percent 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.
Since the storm struck Save the
Children has distributed thousands of family food packs, blankets, household
items, plastic sheeting, water containers, and basic treatment for diarrhea.
The agency has distributed well over
200,000 high energy biscuits and has set up three water purification plants to
serve thousands of families in need of clean drinking water.
The agency also has opened dozens of
child friendly spaces for children to gather and play in areas that are 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 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.
The agency also provided relief and
assisted with recovery efforts after floods left nearly two-thirds of the
country under water in June and July.
Labels: Save
the Children, Cyclone,
Bangladesh
~~~~~
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