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| Aid battle for Bangladesh victims | |
| (about 5 hours later) | |
| Rescue and relief teams have reached most of the remote areas of Bangladesh affected by one of the worst cyclones in recent years, officials say. | |
| But the situation on the ground remains grim, with untold numbers of desperate survivors still short of the most basic necessities of food and drinking water. | |
| Cyclone Sidr has killed more than 2,500 people. Millions are now homeless. | |
| Aid pledges are pouring in to help victims of the storm, described by the government as a "national calamity". | |
| The Bangladeshi minister in charge of disaster management, Tapan Chowdhury, told the BBC that his administration had received offers of $140m (£70m) worth of international emergency aid. | |
| Basic necessities | |
| Cyclone Sidr, which struck late on Thursday, brought winds of up to 240km/h (150mph) and a tidal surge of several metres. | Cyclone Sidr, which struck late on Thursday, brought winds of up to 240km/h (150mph) and a tidal surge of several metres. |
| It destroyed or damaged tens of thousands of homes, brought down power lines and wiped out vital crops. | It destroyed or damaged tens of thousands of homes, brought down power lines and wiped out vital crops. |
| I've been here waiting for hours for something to eat... what I've got so far are a few biscuits. Not enough Asad Ali, survivor Poor hit hardest Victims run for lives In pictures: Storm aftermath | I've been here waiting for hours for something to eat... what I've got so far are a few biscuits. Not enough Asad Ali, survivor Poor hit hardest Victims run for lives In pictures: Storm aftermath |
| Tens of thousands of survivors are now struggling for basic necessities like tents, rice and drinking water. | Tens of thousands of survivors are now struggling for basic necessities like tents, rice and drinking water. |
| Bangladesh's Red Crescent society says up to 10,000 may have died. | Bangladesh's Red Crescent society says up to 10,000 may have died. |
| The BBC's Mark Dummet, in Bangladesh, says there are scenes of devastation along the riverbanks in Barguna District, where people need shelter, food, water and medicines. | The BBC's Mark Dummet, in Bangladesh, says there are scenes of devastation along the riverbanks in Barguna District, where people need shelter, food, water and medicines. |
| He describes hundreds of uprooted trees and knocked-down tin houses, and a river ferry lifted up by the tidal surge and dumped on the shore. | He describes hundreds of uprooted trees and knocked-down tin houses, and a river ferry lifted up by the tidal surge and dumped on the shore. |
| Though relief teams have now reached most of the remote communities in southern Bangladesh, our correspondent says delivering aid to many areas is extremely difficult and can only be done by boat. | Though relief teams have now reached most of the remote communities in southern Bangladesh, our correspondent says delivering aid to many areas is extremely difficult and can only be done by boat. |
| 'Acute stage' | 'Acute stage' |
| Among major donors is Saudi Arabia, which has pledged $100m in aid. The UK is sending $5m for relief efforts in addition to pledges from other nations and the European Union. | |
| A spokesman for the UN World Food Programme in Bangladesh, which is overseeing the aid operation, said agencies had reacted "quickly and swiftly". | A spokesman for the UN World Food Programme in Bangladesh, which is overseeing the aid operation, said agencies had reacted "quickly and swiftly". |
| href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/shared/spl/hi/pop_ups/07/south_asia_enl_1195471763/html/1.stm" onClick="window.open('http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/shared/spl/hi/pop_ups/07/south_asia_enl_1195471763/html/1.stm', '1195472757', 'toolbar=0,scrollbars=0,location=0,statusbar=0,menubar=0,resizable=1,width=455,height=548,left=312,top=100'); return false;">Satellite map of affected area, and the path of Cyclone Sidr href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/shared/spl/hi/pop_ups/07/south_asia_enl_1195471763/html/1.stm" onClick="window.open('http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/shared/spl/hi/pop_ups/07/south_asia_enl_1195471763/html/1.stm', '1195472757', 'toolbar=0,scrollbars=0,location=0,statusbar=0,menubar=0,resizable=1,width=455,height=548,left=312,top=100'); return false;" >Enlarge Map | |
| "The relief effort right now is in the acute stage, the beginning stages," Douglas Broderick told the BBC, adding that more than one million people had been fed so far. | "The relief effort right now is in the acute stage, the beginning stages," Douglas Broderick told the BBC, adding that more than one million people had been fed so far. |
| Announcing $2m in aid, US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said the US would call in "a multitude of US government disaster relief agencies and departments" to help. | Announcing $2m in aid, US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said the US would call in "a multitude of US government disaster relief agencies and departments" to help. |
| The EU, along with the governments of the UK, Germany, France and others have also announced aid pledges. | The EU, along with the governments of the UK, Germany, France and others have also announced aid pledges. |
| Early-warning system | Early-warning system |
| The government has denied suggestions that it is not up to the relief task. | The government has denied suggestions that it is not up to the relief task. |
| District official Shahidul Islam said: "We have enough food and water. We are going to overcome the problem." | District official Shahidul Islam said: "We have enough food and water. We are going to overcome the problem." |
| A government early-warning system is being credited with saving many lives, but the damage to property and crops has been massive. | A government early-warning system is being credited with saving many lives, but the damage to property and crops has been massive. |
| Officials say that in many areas 95% of rice which was awaiting harvest has been destroyed, and shrimp farms and other crops were simply washed away. | Officials say that in many areas 95% of rice which was awaiting harvest has been destroyed, and shrimp farms and other crops were simply washed away. |
| Cyclone Sidr comes just a few months after floods devastated the north of the country. | Cyclone Sidr comes just a few months after floods devastated the north of the country. |
| Southern Bangladesh is hit every year by cyclones and floods, but Cyclone Sidr is the most destructive storm to hit the country in more than a decade. | Southern Bangladesh is hit every year by cyclones and floods, but Cyclone Sidr is the most destructive storm to hit the country in more than a decade. |
| Another storm in 1991 left some 143,000 dead. | Another storm in 1991 left some 143,000 dead. |
| Have you been affected by the cyclone? Send us your experiences using the form below: | Have you been affected by the cyclone? Send us your experiences using the form below: |
| You can send pictures and video to: yourpics@bbc.co.uk or to send via MMS please dial +44 (0)7725 100 100. | You can send pictures and video to: yourpics@bbc.co.uk or to send via MMS please dial +44 (0)7725 100 100. |
| Do not endanger yourself or others, take any unnecessary risks or infringe any laws. | Do not endanger yourself or others, take any unnecessary risks or infringe any laws. |
| Click here for terms and conditions on sending photos and video | Click here for terms and conditions on sending photos and video |