IRIN
BANGLADESH: Muslim countries rush relief to cyclone-hit south
3 December 2007


DHAKA, 3 December 2007 (IRIN) - Muslim countries and Islamic relief 
organisations have shown unprecedented solidarity with the people of 
Bangladesh after a devastating cyclone struck the country's southwestern 
coast on 15 November, killing over 3,000 and rendering millions more 
homeless.

Over 80 percent of the country's 150 million plus inhabitants are 
Muslim.

Saudi Arabia

Oil-rich Saudi Arabia tops the list of Muslim countries in providing 
relief, with a grant of US$100 million, in addition to 300 metric tonnes 
of food and relief supplies.

Soon after the cyclone, Saudi Ambassador Abdullah Al Obaid Al Namla 
informed Bangladesh that the kingdom had expressed its willingness to 
build an "air-bridge" of relief with Bangladesh.

"The first Saudi aircraft arrived on 26 November and the second on 29 
November. Three other relief aircraft will arrive on 3, 6 and 10 
December," a spokesman for the Saudi Arabian embassy in Dhaka, told 
IRIN.

According to Golam Kibria, a senior official with the Bangladesh 
Ministry of Food and Disaster Management, Saudi Arabia was able to 
respond quickly because a Saudi relief team had already been working in 
the country after two rounds of heavy monsoon flooding in September and 
October.

Apart from the Saudi donation to the government, the Saudi Red Crescent 
has committed to donate nearly $30 million directly to the Bangladesh 
Red Crescent Society.

OPEC, Gulf countries

The OPEC (Oil Producing and Exporting Countries) Fund for International 
Development (OFID) has made a commitment to donate $500,000 to the 
Bangladesh Red Crescent Society.

Kuwait and Libya donated $10 million and $1 million respectively to the 
Bangladesh government's relief fund.

Iran and Qatar sent cyclone assistance to Bangladesh, while some other 
Muslim countries have sent assessment teams to assist in verifying the 
needs of those most affected.

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) Red Crescent Society sent aid to 
Bangladesh, including food, medical kits, clothes and shelters, with the 
Bangladesh embassy in the UAE confirming on 24 November it had received 
a "great response" to its appeal for help.

The Jeddah-based Organisation of the Islamic Conference has called on 
governments and civil bodies in its 57 member states to dispatch urgent 
assistance to the country.

Pakistan, Turkey

Meanwhile, Pakistan dispatched six C-130 aircraft carrying a 30-bed 
mobile field hospital with an army medical team of 89 doctors and 
nurses, medicine, medical equipment and relief goods to Bangladesh.

The mobile hospital is currently working in Patuakhali and Barguna, two 
of the worst affected southern districts.

The Pakistani medical teams are treating cyclone victims and 
distributing free medicine and would stay in the affected areas as long 
as they are required, a government spokesman said.

Pakistani naval ships Shahjahan and Nasr - equipped with helicopters, a 
medical team, medicine and medical equipment - have arrived in the port 
city of Chittagong.

Another shipload of food grains will be dispatched from Karachi shortly, 
a media release of the Pakistan embassy in Dhaka, confirmed.

Turkish Ambassador to Dhaka Ferit Ergin on 26 November handed over a 
cheque for $1 million to the government of Bangladesh.

Muslim aid organisations

Islamic Relief (IR) has launched a campaign to raise $6 million for 
Bangladesh, said Yasser Al-Tahawi, director of the IR Volunteers' 
Department in the Middle East.

IR has already remitted $1 million to its offices in Bangladesh. IR's 
emergency aid included food, bottled water and hygiene kits.

UK-based Muslim Aid (MA) has also spearheaded a similar fund-raising 
campaign aimed at providing immediate food aid, medicine and clean 
water.

Both IR and MA have launched online donations' facilities on their 
websites.

"The Muslim brothers came up with huge relief assistance to help 
mitigate suffering and rehabilitate the cyclone affected people of 
Bangladesh," Professor Abdur Rob, chairman of the Bangladesh Red 
Crescent Society, commented.

Devastating floods, tornadoes, and cyclones are a regular occurrence in 
disaster-prone Bangladesh. In 1970 a severe cyclone killed over half a 
million people, while another in 1991 killed over 140,000.


- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Appropriate Donations for International Disaster/Humanitarian Needs
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Center for International             web: www.cidi.org
    Disaster Information         listserv: www.cidi.org/listsub.htm
                               guidelines: www.cidi.org/donate.htm
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Bangladesh Cyclone              www.cidi.org/incident/bng-storm-07k