After the Cyclone Sidr-3

Written by M.G. Rabbany Sujan

Instantly, what is important to do for the victim of sidr

The numbers of death is increasing day by day. Yesterday army briefed that death toll is 3167 and missing-1056 people (Daily Prothom-alo 22 November, 0 7) but non govt. sources are saying more.

Bangladesh government, foreign agencies, NGOs, political parties, personally and other organizations have taken steps to help them and they are assuring more help for the cyclone sidr’s victims. But in this moment, what is the emergency need to the victims of cyclone sidr? What we can provide for the cyclone victims to survival their lives. I think we need to identify what would be important things/relief in this moment for them. What are emergency reliefs in the short term and what can be their long term relief? Otherwise sidr affected people will suffer more soon.

In this moment sidr affected people need some special things to alive which we can say; these are most immediate reliefs. First they need pure water and hygienic foods as the sidr affected people do not have stock of foods. Salted water or sidr damaged their sources of pure water. If we become failure to supply pure water they will fall in sick soon by water borne diseases like diarrhea, dysentery etc.

If we provide them one-time cooked food (khichury) or packet food or some dry foods like chira, gur (molasses), muri, biscuits (which may be not fresh or hygienic) they will be able to go on for the time being. (We also need to be care that in this chance some dishonest businessmen can supply/sell their old/waste dry food). They will not be able to live several days by these dry foods or packet or cooked food. Who will go to them again and again? Then they will take impure food, water and then another devastating epidemic might be arisen. We need to supply them sufficient food that they are habituated to eat and which they can easily digest and we need to supply them water purification tablets and managing other sources for supplying water like tube-wells.

As they are now much shocked and weak, they are not taking foods regularly and some people are not going out to collect relief. They are going to be sick and weak and we need to take care of them. In this situation, we need to provide them more health services, well nursing for the injured and sick peoples and we need to open some more settle light clinics and mobile clinics. All the health services have to be fully free and not lum-sum admission fee as they have no current money.

Many of them lost their dwelling places and clothes. Cyclone sidr vanished to their houses, utensils and clothes, which cyclone people could not find out. Many people are passing night under the open sky. It is also emergency necessary for the victims to manage their living place/house and clothes. As winter is already started we need to supply sufficient necessary warm clothes to the victims. Especially we need to supply children’ clothes/warm clothes soon. We need voluntary people who can help to build their houses. If we are unable to make their houses, we can give them long term loan without interest or with slight interest.

We have come to know from different sources that some NGOs are trying to collect their installments after the cyclone too and we need to think about these as it will be another hit for them.

Cyclone sidr damaged almost all the electricity’s sources and we need to repair these centers. At night they are living in the dark. And instantly, we need to supply sufficient candles, kerosene oil, matches etc.

Providing above mentioned things/relief can remove their present sufferings but we have to think how we can remove their problems in long term. If we feel satisfaction removing their present/temporary problems they will face problem more in the long run. Some NGOs or money-lending businessmen will take this chance and it will make more suffering for them. So it is necessary to give them financial support to cultivate the crops for next season. We can provide to them seeds, fertilizers, money and other necessary things. As the cyclone destroys many trees we can give to them tenders of trees. We can also help them by providing kids’ of goats, cows, poultry etc. we need also provide them business materials like nets, boats, tractors, etc according to their profession.

In conclusion, I want to say, we need to think how we can save their lives from the next cyclone NARGISH. We need to build more cyclone shelters, develop road communication. We also need modern equipments for our meteorological department so that they can alert the people of the coastal area earlier and save their lives.