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Download PDF The cyclone survivors of Patuakhali are suffering from severe crises of baby food and warm clothes as about two lakh families are passing their days under the open sky there.
Lack of food and warm clothes have already exposed around 20,000 children of the district to cold related diseases like pneumonia, typhoid, and fever.
As the decomposed carcasses of animals, perished in the cyclone, have begun to pollute the water bodies in the area, skin diseases and diarrhoea are also spreading.
Meanwhile, several thousand relatives of the survivors still remain missing, 15 days into the cyclone making landfall on the southern coast of the country. Some of the relatives of the missing were seen searching for the bodies of their loved ones on river banks, and in paddy fields and the forest.
According to a report of the Civil Surgeon’s Office in Patuakhali, 521 children were diagnosed with pneumonia, 596 with skin diseases, and 184 with diarrhoea. But non-government sources claimed that the numbers are much higher.
Razia, a resident of Char Lata in Golachipa, survived the cyclone with her two-year old son Rubel. As the cyclone swept away everything she owned, she and her child has no warm clothes left to put on.
Razia could not manage clothes for her infant son till yesterday despite rice, lentil, onion, oil, saris, and lungis being distributed as relief in the area.
Razia’s neighbour Jahanura’s daughter has survived miraculously till yesterday. Since the cyclone Jahanura could not manage powdered milk for her six-year old daughter Koli, and it is almost impossible to manage cow’s milk there under the circumstances. Had it been available Jahanura would still not be able to buy it since she has no cash in her hands.
“Several days ago the army chief distributed some packets of powdered milk in the area, and since then none came with any baby food. I don’t know how I and my six-month old daughter are still alive,” said Abul, a resident of the same char.
Situations in all Sidr affected villages are veritable carbon copies. During a visit to a relief centre in Matibhanga by this correspondent, 20 to 25 mothers were found standing in a queue for relief with their naked kids in their laps.
“Cold descends on our naked kids at night infecting them with different diseases,” said Amena Begum, a resident of the area.
Although the communications adviser during a visit to Patuakhali on Thursday had assured the survivors of special measures for distributing relief for the affected children, the relief that was distributed there since then, is still a mere paltry compared to the need. The district administration distributed 100 packets of powdered milk till yesterday.
“We received 100 packets of powdered milk and 101 packets of biscuits as baby food relief, which we have distributed properly,” said Abdul Malek, a district relief and rehabilitation officer.
“As prices of baby food are much higher we can’t do anything special for them,” a relief officer said on condition of anonymity.
Rubina, a three-month old daughter of Jamal in Char Najib, died of pneumonia on November 22.
Different medical teams working in the area, cautioned parents to keep their children safe from cold, but the parents have no way of complying with the advice.
An 18-member medical team of the US Navy has been providing medical treatment since Monday while a Bangaldesh Army medical team and a 30-member team from Japan-Bangladesh Friendship Hospital have also been providing the same to the survivors there.
A mobile hospital funded by the Netherlands has also been providing medical treatment to the cyclone survivors while 98 medical teams from the Civil Surgeon’s Office have been working in different areas.
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