Cyclone Aila relief reaches remotest areas
The effect of Cyclone Aila (May 2009) was so devastating that even trees that were 5-6 meters height had been damaged as the water rose to that level. Despite many challenges, The Art of Living volunteers reached out to lend their hands to people who were waiting for help.
Offering assistance in remote areas
Cyclone Aila victims were located in the remotest areas and where it was hard to reach. People there lived on the embankments, so it was very challenging to find a place for distribution. Volunteers reached Gabura from Khulna and then on to Munshiganj by road and then three-four hours in a trawler to reach the distribution spot in heavy rain with only a sack as a cover.
The Art of Living Bangladesh offered cyclone relief in the worst affected areas of Gabura Union under Shyamnagar Upazilla in phase 2, Shatkhira Baniashanta and Amtola in phase III and Rampal near Khulna. They reached out to the worst affected areas of Dakope Upazilla where relief was provided to a thousand grieving families in the Baniashanta and Amtola village. The volunteers reached out to people who lived in an infamous brothel in Baniashanta as very little assistance had reached there.
Relief material distribution
744 families in Amtola village and 256 individuals in Baniashanta were covered by two distribution points by our volunteers. A local NGO KMSS, Sushilan and Development Associates supported The Art of Living in need of assessment and logistics planning for relief distribution.
Every family was given some rice, pulses, and potatoes. In Gabura, the two distribution points covered 1,000 families in villages like Lachmikhali, Khalishabhunia, Modhyamkhalishabunia, Chokbara and Nebygunia. In Gabura, 5,000 litres of drinking water, emergency medicines and food items alongwith salt and bleaching powder were distributed.
240 families were affected in Rampal where relief aid worth 60,000 takas was spent on rice, dal, dry food and clothing. Our volunteers still continue to work with relief aid in phase III and phase IV to reach out to 2,500 families.
