Cyclone Displaces Hundreds of Thousands of People in India and Bangladesh
Cyclone Aila slammed into parts of coastal Bangladesh and eastern India on May 25, triggering tidal surges and flooding that has forced over half a million people from their homes. The combined death toll in the two countries is hovering around 181.
Emergency Relief
Cyclone Support
Join ActionAid in its efforts to provide relief to survivors of Cyclone Aila in Bangladesh and eastern India.
Donate Now
“The tidal waves and the up-ward flow of sea water into river deltas has not only destroyed standing crops but also deposited saline water that has contaminated drinking sources in some areas,” said PV Unnikrishnan, ActionAid’s emergencies advisor for Asia and the Americas.
In India, heavy rain triggered by the storm also raised river levels and burst mud embankments in the Sundarbans delta in the state of West Bengal. It is estimated that over a thousand small villages have been affected by the cyclone in Basanti, Gosaba, Canning, Pathar-Pratima, Sagar Island, Kultali and Namkhana.
In Bangladesh, the worst affected area is the Satkhira district, near the port of Mongla, where a local official said 17 bodies were found in one village. Officials moved 500,000 people to temporary shelters after they left their homes to escape huge tidal waves churned by the 60 mph winds.
The cyclone has devastated cropland in both India and Bangladesh and lead to enormous loss of livelihoods. Some of the affected areas as said to be inaccessible by road.
“Rescue work must commence in earnest and boats need to be pressed into service to save those marooned and reach to the survivors,” said Unnikrishnan.
ActionAid’s initial assessment of the damage finds that communities impacted by the cyclone are in need of clean drinking water, food, tarpaulins, medicines, clothing and sanitation facilities. To meet the communities’ immediate needs, we are devising a plan to begin providing aid to those hardest hit.
“This cyclone is another wakeup call to strengthen disaster preparedness and risk reduction measures amongst coastal communities,” added Unnikrishnan. “Government must make long term commitments.”
Please join ActionAid and it efforts to provide emergency relief to communities devastated by natural disasters.
Learn More About ActionAid's Emergency Work
