Bangladesh was worse hit than thought

8.5mn people were affected by the cyclone, says UN report

DHAKA: The United Nations said the humanitarian crisis caused by last month’s cyclone in Bangladesh was much worse than previously thought, with more than two million people in need of immediate life-saving assistance.

“As more information becomes available, an even grimmer reality is being revealed,” the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said in a statement.

About 2.6 million Bangladeshis across nine districts needed emergency assistance, and the total number of people affected by the cyclone was around 8.5 million, 1.5 million more than initially thought, the statement said.

Cyclone Sidr hit the impoverished South Asian country on November 15 with winds of 250 kph and a 5-foot tidal surge. The confirmed death toll has increased to 3,268, and the number of injured has been revised upward by 5,000 to nearly 40,000.

Damage to property is also more severe than first reported. Nearly 5,64,000 homes have been completely destroyed, 2,00,000 more than initially estimated.

Another 8,85,280 houses have been damaged. The United Nations said livestock losses numbered at least 1.25 million, more than double an initial estimate, and the estimated area of cropland damaged had risen to 2 million acres.

So far the UN Central Emergency Response Fund has disbursed $14.7 million for relief efforts in the worst affected areas, while international donors have contributed more than $143 million. Bangladesh has asked the international community for $1 billion to rebuild the country’s southwestern coastal areas.