At least 16 people have died and more than a million have been displaced after Cyclone Remal ravaged the coastlines of India and Bangladesh. Tearfund is responding in Bangladesh to the most urgent needs and providing food and other basic items.
Cyclone Remal brought heavy rain to the low-lying coast of Bangladesh on Sunday night and into Monday, with wind speeds gusting up to 135 kilometres (84 miles) per hour. Rising flood waters have left entire villages stranded and millions of people have been cut off from power. In the leadup to the storm, just under a million people in Bangladesh and India were evacuated into cyclone shelters.
Tearfund is responding in Bangladesh and working with local partners to provide rice, oil, dry food and other basic items. The full extent of the damage is still unknown but Tearfund is working with local partners to assess the needs of the affected population and offer assistance and support.
Tearfund’s Regional Director for Asia, Prabu Deepan, explained: “The impact of the first major cyclone of the year shows how vulnerable people are to extreme weather events and the impacts of climate change. People have lost their homes and livelihoods, they have no access to food and in some cases have very little to return to. Our priority now is to reach those people who have lost so much and support them to get back on their feet. We are praying for safety, protection and swift access to resources for all those who have been impacted.”
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For further information, please contact the Media Team on 07929 339813 or [email protected].
Notes to editors:
Tearfund is a Christian charity that partners with churches in more than 50 of the world’s poorest countries. We tackle poverty through sustainable development, responding to disasters and challenging injustice. We believe an end to extreme poverty is possible. Tearfund is also a member of the Disasters Emergency Committee. For more information about the work of Tearfund, please visit www.tearfund.org.
