Save the Children Responding to Devastating Cyclone in Bangladesh

Save the Children emergency response workers are assisting many of the thousands of families who have fled their homes in Bangladesh following a massive cyclone that struck Thursday. As of Friday evening, news agencies in Bangladesh reported that the death toll from the storm had reached over 1,000, with 20,000 homes damaged and millions of people without electricity.

Save the Children was one of few humanitarian agencies with emergency responders positioned in the path of the storm, a remote and low-lying area still recovering from extreme flooding last summer. All staff are safe, but they are reporting severe damage, power and telecommunications outages and difficulty in traveling to rural areas.

"Save the Children is moving quickly to ensure that children and families receive the aid they desperately need," said Ned Olney, associate vice president for Save the Children's global emergencies unit. "The first 24 hours after a disaster are critical to saving lives and reaching the most vulnerable in the population, especially children."

Distribution of 10,000 emergency non-food items (plastic sheeting, water containers, rope, soap, etc.) is expected to begin today. In addition, 1,500 blankets and 10,000 water tablets are being dispatched to the impact area.

Save the Children, which assisted in the large-scale evacuation of the region, is coordinating with local authorities and has dispatched 19 teams to assess damage and needs. Prior to the storm, the agency had deployed equipment, including rescue boats, to the impact area, and have mobilized food and water-purification resources.

The Category 4 cyclone slammed the coast of the flood-prone country Thursday afternoon, striking the Sundarbans area -- immediately adjacent to Barisal, where Save the Children has extensive programs.

Save the Children has been working in Bangladesh since 1972 and is one of few humanitarian organizations providing assistance in the cyclone's impact area. The agency, which implements disaster risk-reduction programs in addition to conducting emergency relief efforts around the world and in the United States, also provided relief and assisted with recovery efforts after floods left nearly two-thirds of the country under water in June and July.