Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Dacca (Agenzia Fides) - Humanitarian interventions are underway to assist displaced persons, and help with resettlement and reconstruction in areas of Bangladesh affected by cyclone Sidr over two months ago on 15 November. Programmes of 5 organisations which are part of the Agire network will develop in the most affected areas Barguna, Bagherat, Patuakhali and Sundarban.
In the coming months Agire, a network of Catholic and secular NGOs, will help to assist more than 160,000 people especially the most vulnerable categories, women and children, orphans the elderly, disabled persons. NGOs will distribute about 20,000 fishing licences, farming tools, seed. Others will be assisted through “cash for work” initiatives or take part in training programmes for lobster raising, honey extractors and straw chair mending. About 450 homes will be restructured or completely rebuilt. Sundarban, a protected area, will be re-valorised with of 5,000 new mangrove plantations, also to boost related economic and tourist initiatives. “Agire” was able to respond to the needs thanks to the active and consolidated presence of its partners in Bangladesh territory.
Gyclone Sidr struck Bangladesh with winds up to 240/km per hour and a tidal wave which reached 35 km inland from the coast. The official number of affected persons was 8.5 million, 3,500 dead and 800 missing, 600,000 homes destroyed. One of the most serious consequences was the loss of between 50 and 95% of seasonal harvests, more than one million animals and serious damage to lobster farming. The cyclone also seriously damaged 400,000 hectares of Sundarban forest declared heritage of humanity by UNESCO.
Partners of “Agire” include ActionAid, Amref, Save the Children, VIS, WWF. VIS (Volontariato Internazionale per lo Sviluppo), connected with the Salesian Fathers provided first of all emergency aid including food and medicine for about 1,300 affected people. And later assistance to help the affected families return to normal living conditions. (PA) (Agenzia Fides 1/2/2008 righe 26 parole 265)
