On 26 May 2021, Cyclone Yaas hit India and the South-western districts of Bangladesh. In terms of severity and damage, India was more affected, however, Bangladesh has witnessed and suffered damages too. As the full-moon tide was above three to six feet higher than usual, low-lying areas in the coastal zone had become inundated, resulting in embankment breach, and causing damage to houses, crop fields, structures, and roads. Some villages had been badly affected in the working area of Promoting Resilience to Risks of Natural Hazards (PRERONA) project in Cox’s Bazar.
To support the affected communities, PRERONA team has distributed 950 non-food item (NFI) kits to the most affected people in Moheshkhali and Cox’s Bazar during the 1st phase of distribution between June 10 to June 14 2021. During the selection of participants and distribution of NFI kits, PRERONA team found that more people had been affected than anticipated. Moreover, continuous flow of excessive rainwater has created waterlogging in many of the working areas which are hampering regular lives of people.
During the 1st phase of distribution, the main guests who were present are Md. Mahafuzur Rahman, Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) of Moheshkhali, Master Mohammed Ullah, Chairman of Matarbari Union, Md. Zahid Bin Walid, Chairman of Choto Moheshkhali, Nabi Hossain Azad, UP Member, Dhalghata Union, along with School Management Committee (SMC) president, Female Member of Union, Head teacher of Multi-purpose Cyclone Shelter (MPCS) designated school, and local key opinion leaders.
Along with local government officials such as the Union Parishad (UP) Chairman and UP Members, the UNO and Project Implementation Officer (PIO) of respective Unions and Upazilas have also requested PRERONA team to extend support to more of the people affected by Cyclone Yaas and consequent waterlogging. As such, the team plans to distribute an additional 1600 NFI kits following the same criteria and process done in the 1st phase. The team has already prepared a list of participants for additional NFI kit distribution, which was finalized in consultation with DMCs, local administration, community and other stakeholders. In terms of selecting a household for kit distribution, women, adolescent girls, person with disabilities were given priority. Distribution will be done in the presence of Upazila administration representatives, like the 1st phase.
Threat of landslide in PRERONA working areas
As excessive rain has inundated many areas and resulted in waterlogging, many areas under the working areas of PRERONA project is under the threat of landslide. Local administration has been issuing warning to the people to be safe from the threat of possible landslide, as it has already caused a casualty of killing one person in Moheskhali. The most affected unions in Cox’s Bazar are Matarbari, Chowfaldondi, kutubjhum, Pokkhali, Dhalghata, Gorjoniya, Kochopiya, Jalalabad, Choto Maheskhali & Moheshkhali Pourashava which are under the intervention areas of PRERONA.
