It is just over a year since cyclone Sidr hit Bangladesh on 15 November 2007. That night:
- 3295 people died
- 52,810 people injured
- 563,877+ houses destroyed
- 940,438 houses partially damaged
Within 48 hours MAF was assisting in the relief response. Shortly after, MAF flew Habitat for Humanity and Christian Aid Ministries (CAM) to survey the need.
Sidr destroyed 3,000 homes in the village of Mirzagani. Habitat for Humanity was invited by the local government to help rebuild the community. Partnering with CAM, who have supplied skilled construction volunteers, the teams have lived and worked alongside Bangladeshi labourers in Mirzaganj. The homes they are building consist of a basic permanent structure, with a solid raised floor, concrete posts at the four corners and a metal angle iron roof with tin sheeting.
MAF continues to provide flight support for Habitat for Humanity. MAF UK’s Carolyn Flanagan recently visited their work in Mirzagani. Her first impressions:
It’s all water! As far as the eye can see it’s a maze of rivers and tributaries, as well as water lying on the ground – just so much of the land appears, from the air, to be underwater.
Upon landing, a 3-4km walk ensued to Mirzaganj. Buoyed up by a crowd of villagers, “We made our way along an extremely slippery path, taking one slow step at a time, trying not to fall over. Along the way we met one of the staff from Habitat for Humanity. I couldn’t shake hands with him in case I lost my balance!”
In Mirzaganj, “The streets are very narrow – no more than 8-10 feet across, and were thick with slippery mud. The extreme poverty of this area is very apparent all around.”
Carolyn visited the new home of a young woman called Hena. The structure is no more than 30 foot long and 15 foot wide, with corrugated iron sheeting as walls. It is designed so that it can be divided into two rooms, if required, and additional rooms can be added to the back and sides. Inside there was a double bed and a single bed pushed together in the far corner, all neatly made. The room was neat and tidy inside, with saris draped around the walls. There were a few other bits and pieces, but very little else. Outside was a small raised covered area, where food was cooking in a pot over an open fire.
Hena lives in this house with her husband Samsunahal, and her parents-in-law, Khokon and Hawled. Hena’s original home was completely destroyed when the cyclone hit. Flood waters rose so high that she was only able to keep her head above water. The flooding at its highest lasted for three hours. After the flooding subsided the family stayed in the nearby school until their new home was built 15 days later. Hena was “so happy to get this house”.