Save the Children emergency team ready for Bangladesh 'super cyclone'
Save the Children is assisting in a large-scale evacuation of vulnerable children and families, ahead of a major cyclone which is bearing down on Bangladesh.
Thursday 15 November 2007
Super Cyclone Sidr is already bringing heavy rain along the Bangladesh coast.
Authorities are expecting high winds, rain and flooding to have a severe impact on the three million people who live in its predicted path. The cyclone is currently expected to hit a remote and low-lying region that is still recovering from extreme flooding this summer.
Parts of India are also at risk and the government of West Bengal has declared a state of alert in the coastal districts.
Save the Children is one of few humanitarian agencies with emergency response staff already positioned near the predicted path of the storm. The agency has already deployed staff and equipment, including rescue boats, to the region and is building up supplies of food and water. Save the Children is in position to help with further relief efforts as soon as the cyclone passes.
"Save the Children is hoping for the best, but preparing for a worst-case scenario," said Gareth Owen, Save the Children's director of emergencies. "The people living in the path of this storm are some of the most vulnerable on earth, many of them are still recovering from the massive floods that devastated the region earlier this year - Save the Children is ready to come to their aid."
