Cyclone Amphan hits Bangladesh: we are on the ground

Concern has been working in Bangladesh for 48 years, where around 40 million people are living in poverty. The country’s geographical location, land characteristics and climate make it extremely vulnerable to natural disasters, including typhoons, tornadoes and most recently Cyclone Fani in 2019.

For almost five decades we’ve been working to combat suffering and build resilience among the most vulnerable communities in Bangladesh, establishing programmes to help reduce poverty, respond to emergencies and improve health and nutrition. More recently, we extended this work to help Rohingya refugees who fled from Myanmar in 2017 to Cox’s Bazar, currently the world’s largest refugee camp.

Although Cox’s Bazar is not in the predicted path of the cyclone, there are fears for the safety of almost a million Rohingya refugees, many of whom are living in tents or flimsy huts. The first coronavirus cases were reported in Cox’s Bazar last week, and there are now six confirmed cases.

The Concern team in Bangladesh has been responding on the ground to help prevent the spread of Covid-19 across the country, distributing food, providing gloves and masks, increasing awareness campaigns on hygiene promotion and distributing information leaflets about the virus to vulnerable communities.

Cyclone Amphan could have catastrophic consequences for those we help, particularly in Cox’s Bazar. It brings with it the potential of destroying homes and increasing the likelihood of the virus spreading, alongside water-borne diseases.

We are keeping a close eye on the situation and will begin to assess people’s immediate needs and the damage done as soon as it has passed. This is likely to include seeds for replanting lost harvest, cash distributions and hygiene materials such as soap, detergent and clean water.