Relief workers are struggling to bring aid to millions of survivors of the devastating cyclone that hit Bangladesh four days ago, killing more than 2,500 people.
The final death toll caused by Cyclone Sidr, the second-worst storm to befall the crisis-prone country, will take several days to ascertain. Thousands of people are still stranded on islands in the Bay of Bengal and in cut-off coastal districts, and scores of fishermen are still missing.
About 3 million people have been evacuated from low-lying southern regions where their villages were destroyed by waves reaching heights of 20 feet.
The official government death toll is 2,506 but aid agencies said that the number was rising by the hour as they uncovered more bodies in isolated parts of one of the world’s poorest countries.
Aid agencies gave warning that the death toll could rise above 10,000. They also fear more people will die if adequate supplies of food, drinking water and medicine are not distributed to check the outbreak of disease.
Oxfam said it thought that between 50 and 95 per cent of crops, many of which were ready for harvesting, had been destroyed in coastal zones which will have a long-term impact on the country’s ability to restore food supplies.
More than 240,000 livestock died, according to Save The Children, which has launched a £1 million appeal.
Humbling, and puts things into perspective. Truly, we have so much, and they have so very little. Now this.
Love, Leah
