OCHA Situation Report No. 12
Bangladesh: Cyclone Sidr
7 December 2007


Source: UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs

This situation report is based on information received from the 
Bangladesh Disaster Management Information Centre, the UN Resident 
Coordinator's Office Bangladesh, the Disaster Emergency Response Group 
(DER), UN Agencies and OCHA Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific 
(ROAP).

I. Situation in Bangladesh

1. Cyclone Sidr, Category IV, hit Bangladesh on the evening of 15 
November. The cyclone struck offshore islands at 1830 hours and made 
landfall across the southern coast from Cox's Bazaar in the east toward 
the Satkhira districts in the west at 2030 hours local time, with wind 
speeds of up to 250 km/ph. Approximately 31 of Bangladesh's 64 districts 
were affected by the storm mainly within the administrative divisions of 
Barisal and Khulna. The storm caused extensive damage to the southern 
districts as it moved north across central Bangladesh.

2. As of 4 December, the Government of Bangladesh (GoB) official reports 
stated that more than 8.7 million people were affected by Cyclone Sidr, 
with a death toll of 3,295 people, a further 871 people missing and 
52,810 people injured. Material damage was severe, with over 563,877 
houses destroyed and a further 940,438 houses were partially damaged. 
The GoB estimates that more than 2.2 million acres of crops were damaged 
and over 1,684,292 livestock killed. As well as extensive damage to 
roads and public buildings, including 2,400 educational institutions 
destroyed and another 12,620 partially damaged.

II. National Response in Bangladesh

3. Information regarding the emergency response, Cluster situation 
reports, Cluster Leads and contact lists, meeting schedules, updated 
information and relief response is available on the LCG Disaster 
Emergency Response - Cyclone Updates website: 
www.lcgbangladesh.org/derweb/cyclone_updates.php.

4. Food Cluster: Cluster members continue to implement food aid 
assistance and plan food security assessments. The Ministry of Food and 
Disaster Management (MoFDM) allocated 16,890 Metric Tonnes of rice and 
27,000 food packages, to date. The Food Cluster has registered an 
estimated 26,000 Metric Tonnes of food distributed to people affected by 
Cyclone Sidr, including 16,890 Metric Tonnes by the GoB and an estimated 
9,000 Metric Tonnes by other agencies. WFP will commence forth round 
distribution in nine of the most affected districts, on 10 December.

5. Water and Sanitation (WASH): The WASH situation has been stabilised 
due to effective resource distribution. However, there are reports that 
some small communities living in remote coastal locations, who were 
subject to pre-emergency water shortages, have not received assistance. 
Mapping of DPHE, NGO and UN distribution locations and activities 
indicate that projects cover the majority of the population affected by 
Cyclone Sidr, with minimal duplication or gaps. Sanitation and hygiene 
needs of displaced populations along the roadsides are being addressed 
through partnerships agreements with UNICEF. More information on the 
cyclone website, WASH Coordination Cluster situation report.

6. Health: There is a high prevalence of reported cases of Typhoid / 
fever and skin diseases in comparison to diarrhoea and ARI/Pneumonia 
cases. Disease surveillance continues as the diarrhoea situation remains 
stable with a total of 1,177 cases of diarrhoea reported, according to 
the Ministry of Health. The Third Health Coordination Cluster meeting 
was held on 3 December. Four sub-groups were formed to facilitate 
uniform reporting and emergency activities. The sub-groups include: 
Surveillance, Nutrition, Reproductive Health, and Psychosocial and 
Mental Health. District level Health Coordination Cluster meetings were 
also held. The next meeting is scheduled for the 13 December in Barisal. 
WHO will carry out in-depth health needs assessments for long term 
interventions. The priorities are: a) to promote uniform collection of 
health information maybe through a common case definition and reporting 
format, b) Increase focus on health issues like reproductive, maternal, 
child and psychosocial/mental health needs of SIDR Victims, c) Identify 
links between malnutrition, micronutrient deficiency and diseases like 
TB and HIV/AIDS, d) Strengthening ongoing disease surveillance.

7. Emergency Shelter: Nine agencies are targeting some 186,579 families 
in 13 Cyclone affected districts with Non Food Items and shelter 
construction materials. Many agencies are preparing to conduct 
assessments, plan activities and identifying funding sources. A 
Technical Working Group was formed to resolve technical difficulties and 
provide guidance on the construction and reconstruction of houses and 
family shelters. The cluster strategy is in its final stage. Nation-wide 
coordination will take place in Dhaka and field coordination will take 
place at the district level. The fourth Shelter meeting was held on 5 
December with 14 agencies in attendance.

8. Early Recovery: A draft Terms of Reference for the Environmental 
Rapid Assessment, to be undertaken with the Centre for Environmental and 
Geographic Information Services (CEGIS), was circulated. A working group 
is establishing tools and methodologies for needs assessment on early 
recovery: governance, community infrastructure, short-term livelihood, 
risk reduction and crosscutting issues. Assessments are expected to 
conclude with a public discussion scheduled for the end of December. 
Early recovery strategic planning will commence the first week of 
January.

9. Logistics Cluster: The Bangladesh Armed Force Division continues to 
work on the distribution of relief goods to the local administrations, 
communities through the Bangladesh Air Forces and the US Aircrafts. The 
two member Logistics Clusters field mission returned from Burisal, 
Patukhali and Burguna. The detailed report with recommendation as well 
as contact lists for transport companies and warehouses is available on 
the following website: http://www.logcluster.org. The Logistics Response 
mission will return this week. Logistics Cluster coordination will now 
be lead by the WFP Logistics Officer in country.

III. International Response in Bangladesh

10. The Government of Bangladesh established a special fund of BDT 808 
million taka for housing reconstruction grants for families affected by 
Cyclone Sidr.

11. The Central Emergency Relief Fund (CERF) allocations to the Cyclone 
Sidr emergency response total USD 14.7 million.

12. IFRC launched an Emergency Appeal for USD 22.2 million to support 
the Bangladesh Red Crescent Society (BRCS) assist 1,215,000 
beneficiaries over a period of two years.

13. The total amount of received contributions and confirmed pledges for 
the Cyclone Sidr response in Bangladesh is USD 155,416,104, as recorded 
on the FTS at 1200 hrs on 6 December. Donors are encouraged to verify 
contributions and inform OCHA Financial Tracking System (FTS) of 
corrections/additions/values to this table. For updated information on 
financial contributions, please refer to the OCHA Financial Tracking 
System website: http://reliefweb.int/fts/.

14. This situation report, together with further information regarding 
on-going emergencies, is also available on the Reliefweb: 
http://www.reliefweb.int.

For detailed information please contact:

OCHA Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific (Bangkok)
Ms. Yindee Lertcharoenchok
Tel. + 66-89-890 6216
Email :Lertcharoenchok @un.org


Desk Officers:

(NYC) Ms. Kendra Clegg
Tel. +1 646 416 1140
Email: clegg@un.org

(GVA) Mr. Jean Verheyden
Tel: + 41 79 509 8116
Email: verheyden@un.org


Press contact

(NYC) Ms. Stephanie Bunker
Tel. + 1 917 367 5126

(GVA) Ms. Elizabeth Byrs
Tel. + 41 22 917 2653


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