RICHMOND — Virginia Baptists are providing assistance to victims of the cyclone that devastated parts of Bangladesh in November.
More than 3,500 people were killed in the Ganges River delta along the Bay of Bengal.
Terry Raines, coordinator for mobile mission and disaster relief for the Virginia Baptist Mission Board, said the glocal missions and evangelism team has allocated about $16,000 to provide 500 relief packets of food, water and blankets; funds for 10 new houses; and assistance in drilling five new wells.
The funds will be channeled through the Bangladesh Fellowship of Baptist Churches.
The cost of each new house is about $400; each well drilled will cost about $850; and each relief packete costs $15.
Leor Sarkar, general secretary of the Baptist fellowship, told Raines, “We've already selected the areas for deep tube-well installation and talked to the experts. We will continue the packet distribution, adding some extra materials like warm cloths, etc. We'll sit with our leaders from Southern area to select the most needy people to give house; we'll depend on the survey report and also their opinion.”
Meanwhile Baptist World Aid, the relief and development arm of the Baptist World Alliance, is working in partnership with both the Bangladesh Fellowship of Baptist Churches and the Bangladesh Baptist Church Sangha, a second convention of churches, according to Associated Baptist Press.
Both conventions provided food to storm survivors. The relief department for the Bangladesh Baptist Church Sangha also committed to help 150 families rebuild their bamboo homes, which were lashed by Cyclone Sidr's 155-mph winds.
The death toll could reach 10,000 once rescuers reach outlying islands, according to assessments compiled by the Bangladesh Red Crescent Society.
“Once again, the poorest of the poor have been hit worst and need our full support,” said Paul Montacute, director of BWAid. “We will be working with Baptists in Bangladesh, the Asia Pacific Baptist Federation and other Baptist groups in providing help and assistance.”
The Bangladeshi government did well in providing relief supplies before the storm hit, said Jim Brown, U.S. director for Baptist Global Response, a Southern Baptist Convention international development and relief organization. And military helicopters continue to drop emergency rations into areas not yet accessible by road, according to news reports.
“The government, military and major relief organizations are all doing a good job providing initial relief materials to the affected area,” Brown said. “But there are always gaps in relief efforts. Our strategy is to work with the Bangladesh Baptist Convention to identify areas that are not being adequately helped and focus our efforts there.”
The Southern Baptist Convention's International Mission Board has released $50,000 in relief funds, but because relief efforts will be undertaken in multiple areas, requests for additional funds are expected.
According to Baptist Press, Bangladesh has a population of 149 million, more than 86 percent of whom are Muslims. In 1991 a cyclone killed more than 138,000 and in 1970 a cyclone killed nearly 500,000. And monsoon-induced flooding this summer has left other parts of the country in dire need.
Cyclone Sidr approached low-lying Bangladesh with a fury Nov. 15, making landfall during the black of night as a category 4 storm.
While the death toll continues to rise, the potential loss of life is not as great as many feared it would be. Lessons learned from previous cyclones, successful evacuations and pre-arranged shelters helped spare lives during the storm's onslaught.
Still, many are suffering — those who have lost their homes and all their possessions, and especially those who have lost a family member.
“It was hard to rest as I imagined the horrifying experience so many were having in those moments [during the storm], especially those near the Bay of Bengal,” said one International Mission Board worker who serves among Bangladeshis. “It was not hard to imagine steel roofs ripping off bamboo homes all over. What I couldn't imagine was seeing my house rip apart and not be able to do anything to protect my family from the cold wind and rain and the terror of it all.”
Brown of Baptist Global Response, said, “The immediate needs are likely to consist of food, water, temporary shelter and emergency medical needs. In the long term, sheltering will be an issue, as will the need for clean, potable water. Widespread flooding could spread waterborne diseases and raise serious sanitation concerns. Crisis counseling also is likely to be needed and should be woven throughout all relief responses.”
Millions of Indians, Nepalis and Bangladeshis were affected in August by monsoon rains that brought what the United Nations called “the worst flooding in living memory” to southern Asia. In 1970, an estimated 500,000 people died when a cyclone hit Bangladesh, while an estimated 138,000 people died in a cyclonic tsunami in 1991.