Cyclone Fani: Christian agencies rush aid to India and Bangladesh

Mahinur lives in the Barishal region of Bangladesh, which is prone to extreme weather.

As tropical Cyclone Fani began hammering down on India and Bangladesh, on Friday, CAFOD, Catholic Relief Services (CRS) and Christian Aid were already working with local partners in both countries to provide people with immediate support.

More than 1.2 million people had been evacuated from Odisha state, on India's northeastern coast along the Bay of Bengal, where the storm made landfall early Friday morning. There have been reports of seven deaths, but those numbers will likely rise as the scope of the devastation becomes clear in the storm's aftermath.

As the storm approached India, CRS assisted the government with evacuations and is now supporting partners who are helping coordinate food distributions inside evacuation centres.

"For two days we have helped with evacuations in Odisha. Now that Cyclone Fani has made landfall, we've shifted to planning for a response," said Kirti Mishra, CRS India's head of operations.

"Evacuating 1.2 million people will save lives, but those people will need support as they return to damaged homes, lost crops, and interrupted work and income. We have emergency relief supplies like tarpaulins, sleeping mats, cooking utensils and hygiene kits ready to go in warehouses in Odisha. As soon as it's safe to move out, our teams and partners will identify the families who need assistance in hard hit areas."

In Bangladesh, CRS is working with partner Caritas, along with local community groups, to help children and the elderly get into the area's cyclone shelters as quickly as possible. CRS has supplied evacuation shelters with food and water; additional items will be supplied in the coming days as the extent of the damage becomes known.

"The strength of the cyclone hasn't weakened as we expected when it hit India, so it is still quite big. If the wind speed doesn't reduce further, it will have a major impact on infrastructure and homes, which are made of bamboo and mud," said Snigdha Chakraborty, CRS' country manager in Bangladesh who is currently in Dhaka. "As people stream into cyclone shelters, we've seen families bring with them as many of their belongings as possible-including cattle and other livestock. Our main concern is that people here are already living in an extremely vulnerable, low-lying area-so even a smaller storm could wipe out all of a family's belongings. The wind and rising water will undoubtedly have an impact. We'll have to wait and see what damage will be done."

In Bangladesh, there have been reports of damage to river dykes as water levels rise. In addition, about 20% of the area's crops have already been lost because farmers didn't have enough time before the storm to harvest them.

"Our priority after the storm will be shelter and getting people back to their homes and ready to rebuild what's lost," Chakraborty said.

Nana Anto-Awuakye, CAFOD's World News Manager, is currently in the Barishal region of Bangladesh, and sent this report on Friday:

"Everyone here is following the progress of Storm Fani and unsure of its impact on Bangladesh. India is due to face the brunt of the storm, and even if the full impact of the storm doesn't reach Barishal, people are preparing."

In Bangladesh, cyclone season generally lasts from April to December and causes major damage to both crops and property.

In Barishal, Nana spoke to Mahinur, a working mother who is part of a local project to help community members learn new skills to make a living and adapt to climate change.

"The cyclone shelter is about 10 minutes away, but its condition isn't very good after so many storms."

Mahinur, a working mother in Barishal, said: "The cyclone shelter is about 10 minutes away, but its condition isn't very good after so many storms.

"So, we head for a neighbour's house, which is made of brick, and pray that this will protect us. We heard that another one (Storm Fani) might be coming over the next days, this scares us."

CAFOD has appealed for prayers and is supporting Caritas Bangladesh - who are mobilising their response teams in the delta area as a precautionary measure and are monitoring the situation.

Emergency response experts in the region have been working to ensure 254 cyclone shelters are ready to shelter nearly 200,000 people - and they have been in touch with local emergency water and food suppliers, to prepare if a response is needed.

Caritas Bangladesh works closely with communities in these areas, teaching trades such as mechanics and tailoring so people aren't solely reliant on farming in the unpredictable weather.

To donate to CAFOD's emergency Cyclone Fani appeal click here:

https://cafod.org.uk/donations/one-off?_Amount=29&_Appeal=55319