Troops reach cyclone survivors
2007-11-21 17:59
Dhaka - Bangladesh's army said on Wednesday that it had finally reached most parts of its cyclone-hit southern coastline where millions of desperate survivors were at risk from starvation and disease.
Six days after cyclone Sidr smashed in from the Bay of Bengal, small amounts of aid were at last getting through to most places but villagers - most of whom have lost family members and livelihoods - said much more was needed.
Millions left destitute
The storm, which brought furious winds, rain and a 6m tidal wave, swept away everything its path, obliterating whole villages and killing as many as 10 000 people.
Army major Emdadul Islam said that relief effort was slow going.
"We have reached everywhere with relief materials and we are also continuing rescue operations," he said.
But he added: "We informed every government, non-government officials and local journalists to tell us if they find any unreached areas where relief materials did not go."
Up to four million people in the area, one of the poorest places on the planet, have been left destitute and without adequate food and water.
The United Nations said 3 447 people were confirmed dead, a further 2 062 reported missing, feared dead and 6 611 injured. Many bodies, washed out to sea, are unlikely to be found.
Huge, long-term relief needed
Aid agencies said it was now a race against time to provide assistance.
Bangladesh's interim government leader Fakhruddin Ahmed has described the cyclone as a "national crisis.
"The destruction of houses, roads, trees and crops by the hurricane is unimaginable," the leader of the military-backed government said earlier.
Aid agencies said, however, the sheer scale of the destruction - described by the UN Children's Fund as "beyond all imagination" - meant a huge, long-term relief and reconstruction effort would be needed.