Mangrove Information, Education & Research Centre

Help to overcome the effect of disasters and Covid

As the Sundarbans coastal region of Bangladesh is in the front line of global climate change; it has to face several natural disasters all over the year. Sometimes, massive disasters occur in this region that devastates coastal life and livelihoods. In the past few gigantic disasters took place here like Cyclone Sidr, Aila, Bulbul, Fani etc. Disaster risks are higher in May and June. Disaster time has come and local people will suffer again due to the upcoming disasters. They do not have such economic condition to have good structured household. As a result, every year they face heavy surge, cyclones and experience the battle with the natural diaster.

BEDS provided emergency relief support to 150 coastal families with the help of GlobalGiving. BEDS supported duck, chicken, sheep, seeds to the villagers. But they still need support to fulfill their basic needs. But currently we are unable to provide those people with direct support as we have no fund available right now.

So, we are requesting all our donors to come forward for the aid of those victim people. We hope that all our donors will start monthly recurring donation for the helpless, disaster vulnerable poor people. Link of recurring donation is as follows;

https://www.globalgiving.org/projects/donate-to-cyclone-affected-communities-of-bangladesh?show=recurring

Community members in the remote coastal areas near Sundarbans confirm that during the COVID-19 crisis they have not been contacted by health authorities concerning their health situation. This is an issue as the analysis shows that though their villages are remote, the community members are not completely isolated, but on the contrary, through their work as daily laborers and the search for work they are in regular contact with other persons outside their villages and therefore may be infected. Communication to the outside of their community on social and health issues happens mainly with humanitarian NGOs; only very few respondents have been in contact on this subject with the Union Parishad (lowest political/administrative level). No systematic evaluation of their health situation has happened though Munda organizations keep track of the social situation of their community members and were able to produce disaggregated information on the damage done by cyclone Amphan to coastal villages within a few days only. No systematic testing happened in the those villages. This is illustrated by a community report in contradiction to the official statement: one young male Munda community member was tested positive when he crossed the border from India. He was treated in hospital; however the authorities are not aware of this.

So, we are requesting all our donors to come forward for the aid of those victim people. We hope that all our donors will start monthly recurring donation for the helpless, disaster vulnerable poor people. Link of recurring donation is as follows

https://www.globalgiving.org/projects/donate-to-cyclone-affected-communities-of-bangladesh/?show=recurring