Dhaka appeals for international assistance for cyclone victims
Tuesday, 20 November 2007
Bangladesh has made an appeal to the international community to assist its cyclone victims and in post-cyclone rehabilitation as official count so far put the death figure at 2407, reports UNB.
"It's our observation that our friends will come forward to assist us at this hour of our need," Foreign Affairs Adviser Dr Iftekhar Ahmed Chowdhury told the press in the city Monday.
He said, "We're doing everything we can do by ourselves, but the magnitude of the calamity has been just too great."
Earlier, a spokesman for the Foreign Ministry said this year Bangladesh has been subject to a series of severe natural disasters and Cyclone Sidr, the most devastating storm, came in the wake of two rounds of massive floods.
The government has undertaken all necessary measures to get ready in every possible way to tackle the disaster, he added.
Despite the steps, the spokesman further said, appalling damages have occurred and the assessment of which is still going on.
He said while the resilient people of Bangladesh and the government are jointly making efforts to cope with the adversities, "At the same time we'll welcome support from the international community," as before, through the government, to help mitigate the effects of the disasters.
Meanwhile, four days into the devastating tropical storm that rampaged through Bangladesh with monstrous waves and winds, the death toll rose to 2,408, officials said Monday.
In the latest tally released at 11am, the disaster management ministry marked 1,491 people as injured and 1,063 as missing.
"The figures were based on the information collected until 11am Monday," said Ferdous Ara of the food and disaster management ministry.
About 3.3 million people of 0.912 million families in 968 unions of 133 upazilas of the country have been affected by the storm and tidal surges, the ministry said in a report.
Standing crops of over 30,000 acres were totally damaged or doused, while 0.85 million acres of farmland suffered partial damage, Ferdous Ara said.
About 0.3 million houses were completely ruined and over 0.6 million houses suffered heavy damage, the report said.
Over 0.25 million heads of cattle and poultry birds were killed in the storm.
The cyclone destroyed 740 educational institutions totally and damaged another 253 partially.
Roads stretching 58 kilometres were ruined and about 88,000km suffered partial damage.
Embankments measuring about 57 kilometres were breached. Besides, the super cyclone uprooted over 0.35 million trees of different species, the report said.
The survivors were still searching for their missing loved ones, drinking water and anything to eat.
In the coastal belt, many southerners have not seen any succour in 96 hours after the devastating tropical storm Sidr ripped through that area.
"It's our observation that our friends will come forward to assist us at this hour of our need," Foreign Affairs Adviser Dr Iftekhar Ahmed Chowdhury told the press in the city Monday.
He said, "We're doing everything we can do by ourselves, but the magnitude of the calamity has been just too great."
Earlier, a spokesman for the Foreign Ministry said this year Bangladesh has been subject to a series of severe natural disasters and Cyclone Sidr, the most devastating storm, came in the wake of two rounds of massive floods.
The government has undertaken all necessary measures to get ready in every possible way to tackle the disaster, he added.
Despite the steps, the spokesman further said, appalling damages have occurred and the assessment of which is still going on.
He said while the resilient people of Bangladesh and the government are jointly making efforts to cope with the adversities, "At the same time we'll welcome support from the international community," as before, through the government, to help mitigate the effects of the disasters.
Meanwhile, four days into the devastating tropical storm that rampaged through Bangladesh with monstrous waves and winds, the death toll rose to 2,408, officials said Monday.
In the latest tally released at 11am, the disaster management ministry marked 1,491 people as injured and 1,063 as missing.
"The figures were based on the information collected until 11am Monday," said Ferdous Ara of the food and disaster management ministry.
About 3.3 million people of 0.912 million families in 968 unions of 133 upazilas of the country have been affected by the storm and tidal surges, the ministry said in a report.
Standing crops of over 30,000 acres were totally damaged or doused, while 0.85 million acres of farmland suffered partial damage, Ferdous Ara said.
About 0.3 million houses were completely ruined and over 0.6 million houses suffered heavy damage, the report said.
Over 0.25 million heads of cattle and poultry birds were killed in the storm.
The cyclone destroyed 740 educational institutions totally and damaged another 253 partially.
Roads stretching 58 kilometres were ruined and about 88,000km suffered partial damage.
Embankments measuring about 57 kilometres were breached. Besides, the super cyclone uprooted over 0.35 million trees of different species, the report said.
The survivors were still searching for their missing loved ones, drinking water and anything to eat.
In the coastal belt, many southerners have not seen any succour in 96 hours after the devastating tropical storm Sidr ripped through that area.