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NEWS FLASH Disaster Emergency Committee: November 2007
The DEC launched the Bangladesh Cyclone Appeal on the 22nd November 2007. Every year, Southern Bangladesh is hit by cyclones, but Cyclone Sidr is the most destructive storm in more than a decade. The devastation left people desperate for help with over 3 million people evacuated; 500,000 houses destroyed across 30 districts of southwest Bangladesh and another 1.1 million houses partially destroyed.
The southern area of Bangladesh is a densely populated coastline housing some of the country’s poorest people. When the storm hit, they were the most vulnerable, living on islands of sand and silt, barely a metre above sea level.
In addition crops have been wiped out and many livelihoods devastated. Emergency aid such as tents; blankets; food; cooking equipment and hygiene kits are urgently needed. Water purification tablets are also needed as only 10% of the wells in the affected areas is safe. People may be forced to drink from contaminated water sources which could cause an outbreak of typhoid and other water borne diseases.
The DEC urgently needs the support from the British public so that funds can be raised to provide vital support to the thousands of families affected by this natural disaster.
