Symbiosis International

 Although the human death toll is relatively low, the destruction that Sidr has caused is immense. Around one million families in southern Bangladesh have been affected, with the cyclone demolishing houses, damaging roads and bridges and flattening rice and other food crops. For the rural poor, one of the most tragic outcomes has been the loss of livestock, with hundreds of thousands of animals killed (many of which would have been being fattened for 'Sacrifice Eid', just a matter of weeks away). Rebuilding houses is one thing, but the lost income from livestock death will be one of the hardest things for the poor to endure.

Major Affected Areas:

The districts worst affected by Cyclone Sidr are all found in southern Bangladesh and include Barguna, Patuakahali, Pirojpur, Jhalokati, Barisal, Bhola, Bagerhat, Kulna, Satkira, Gopalganj, Narail, Madaripur etc. Of these, the districts fronting the Bay of Bengal (in italics), suffered not only from high winds, but also from a highly destructive tidal surge. These are also among the most isolated areas, especially with the damage to infrastructure that has occurred there.

Because the main working area of Symbiosis is in northern Bangladesh, the organisation's group members were little affected by the cyclone (a great mercy given that many of them are still recovering from the affects of the bad flooding earlier this year). However, in response to a crisis of this magnitude, Symbiosis is willing and able to respond to the needs of Bangladeshis outside the organisation's normal working area. This has happened previously, when Symbiosis assisted victims of a cyclone in Satkira.

Symbiosis Working Area:

Symbiosis has begun its rehabilitation work at Barguna District in Amtali Upazila among SIDR disaster victim people since December 20th 2007. Primarily Symbiosis has decided to work at this place for three months. Barguna is large district and we have selected one union named Kokowa union under Amtali Upazila. Currently we are working in three villages named Angulkata, Jelepara and Khekuani in Kokowa union. We have selected these villages because these villages are badly affected and damaged by SIDR cyclone and all these villages are very remote area. People in these villages receive only few helps and relief from government and NGO's after SIDR cyclone.

Before we begin our work at this location we did baseline survey. Local chairman, representative of local government, and local people have participated into our baseline survey. Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) also helped us a lot into our survey. Besides Bank manager also helped us to open bank account for our project.

Methodology:

Project staffs that have previous experience and disaster management related issues, functionally they conducted baseline survey among the more effected people. Prior to the commencement of cyclone SIDR affected people, surveys are also carried out to establish who the neediest people are in the focus community. The criteria used are that people must be affected aged between 15 and 45.

Meetings conducted with effected people to form groups for housing assistance and other facilities. Each group typically consists of 25 members of same gender. We will form 18 female groups and 5 male groups in the selected area. So far we formed 16 female groups.

Every group formed a simple management committee member who represents the groups (selected by the groups themselves and project concerning staff). On the other hand they opened individually Bank account according to their group name as per Symbiosis policy in order to receive money for rehabilitation work.

Selected people filled up a photo attached form which is authorized by local Chairman. When they will receive money, they will leave their signature in the master roll.  This master rolls will authorized by local Chairman and representative of Government.

Symbiosis will assist the cyclone affected people for housing repair and goat rearing purpose. Selected people will receive 1st installment of Tk.1000, then 2nd installment of Tk.1000 after 20 days from the first installment and in last installment they will receive Tk. 500 after 45 days from the first installment. The payment will make through Bank Account.

After the disaster, local people are suffering by various diseases. Naturally a large part of southern people of Bangladesh are very unaware about common health diseases. On the other hand, people are very hopeless and sorrowful in this moment. In this circumstance our concern staff giving health lesson about the importance of hygiene and preventative health, mother and child health, diseases that are common to the rural environment, and then may be we will arrange some classes on their future needs and relationship build-up among the selected groups or area. Primarily the staff will distribute ORS and some tablet among them who are affected by the dysentery and diarrhea as emergency diseases protection.