Created 12/5/07
An unimaginable situation
More than 7 million people are thought to have been affected by the cyclone, with around 3,000 people dead, and a similar number missing.
The cyclone damaged power and communications networks, killed livestock, and caused tidal surges that swept away scores of people.
A child climbs on a… (more) house destroyed by the cyclone. Photo: Mahmud/MAPMany people have been returning to their homes from the evacuation shelters, only to find their houses devastated. They have been assembling make-shift housing from the debris or sleeping in the open air. Government figures indicate that 273,000 homes were destroyed and more than 900,000 damaged.
The massive loss and damage to crops – estimated at between 50-95 per cent in coastal areas – will have immediate and long-term effects on the country. Bangladesh had already lost crops in northern and central areas after the severe floods in July. Oxfam fears the combined impact of these two disasters on one of the world’s poorest countries could be massive. Food prices are already increasing, while fuel prices have rocketed by 50 per cent. (less)
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