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Summary: For some days now, the authorities in Bangladesh and Myanmar have been on red alert due to the approaching cyclone āMahasenā. Millions of people living on the Bengal coast could be severely affected in the next few hours. The threat is all the more serious as this region was already hit by the cyclones Sidr and Nargis in 2007 and 2008. Terre des hommes has been present in Patharghata in southern Bangladesh since Sidr, and is now preparing for the worst, and has already collected human and material resources to face possible disaster.
Ā For some days now, the authorities inĀ BangladeshĀ andĀ MyanmarĀ have been on red alert due to the approaching cyclone āMahasenā. Millions of people living on the Bengal coast could be severely affected in the next few hours. The threat is all the more serious as this region was already hit by the cyclones Sidr and Nargis in 2007 and 2008. Present in Patharghata in southern Bangladesh since Sidr,Ā Terre des hommesis now preparing for the worst, and has already collected human and material resources to face possible disaster. āMahasenā is presently moving up the Indian coast, after having cost scores of lives in Sri Lanka, where thousands have been made homeless. The meteorologists anticipate the south of Bangladesh and the State of Rakhine in Myanmar will be struck by its full force this Thursday, 16 May. In both countries, all actors are on the qui-vive and many warnings have been given to the public. At the moment the Tdh teams are preparing to act fast if āMahasenā hits the Patharghata area. At a material level, stocks of jerrycans, hygiene kits, candles and matches are in position, as well as tarpaulins to serve as shelters for 1,700 families, and reserves of chlorine so as to ensure a daily supply of drinking water for 1,000 families. On the human level, Tdh can count on its local Patharghata staff as well as a team of specialists for healthcare, sanitation, water and hygiene who came from Kurigram in the north of the country to help in the emergency feared. Bangladesh is notorious as one of the countries most vulnerable for natural disasters. For this reason, Tdh has installed itself in the south and runs projects forĀ prevention and disaster managementĀ there. For example, thanks to the construction of wells, latrines and raised kitchen gardens, Tdh anticipates the consequences of flooding and enables communities to benefit from drinking water, basic sanitary installations and alternative food resources when a disaster strikes. Although the impact of this new cyclone cannot yet be assessed, every precaution must be taken in this region that is far from being spared by natural disasters such as the cyclones Marian (1991) and Sidr (2007) ā that remain in peopleās memories as having taking the lives of hundreds of thousands of victims.Tdh is getting ready
An area at risk