The United Nations (UN) yesterday said that the damage from Cyclone Sidr is worse than initial estimates.
The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, in a press release yesterday, said, “As more information becomes available, an even grimmer reality is being revealed.”
UN raised the number of people affected by Sidr to 15 lakh , added 5,000 more to the injury list, and raised the figure for houses destroyed, by two lakh.
Latest UN assessments, in coordination with government agencies, suggest 2.2 million people are in need of immediate life-saving relief and 85 lakh homes have been destroyed – around 15 lakh more than originally estimated. The actual number of dead livestock has doubled from the initial assessment to 12.5 lakh.
The number of injured now stands at 40,000, while another 872 remain missing. The official death toll is now 3,268.
OCHA also said material damages are more significant than originally thought, as 564,000 houses have been completely destroyed according to latest assessments, up by 2 lakh.
OCHA also said more revelations are still to come, as more areas become accessible. This will reveal the true extent of the damage to roads, public buildings and educational institutions.
The latest UN assessments identified food, shelter and cash as the highest priority areas for immediate assistance, while sanitation, drinking water, electricity, livelihood assistance and early recovery are urgently needed.
The UN Central Emergency Response Fund has disbursed a total of $14.7 million, as part of a broader $143 million contributed by international donors towards relief and recovery activities.
Tags: Bangladesh, Cyclone, Hurricane, Hurricane Sidr, SIDR
Categories: Bangla, Bangladesh, Bangladesh Economy, Bangladesh News, Daily Bangladesh News, Economy, News
