Measuring Commitment to Best Practice
HRI 2008
BANGLADESH
In November 2007, Cyclone Sidr hit the Bay of Bengal in southern Bangladesh. Its consequences were catastrophic. More than 3,300 people lost their lives, almost nine million were affected and 31 of the 64 districts that comprise the country were devastated as a result of the torrential rains and strong winds. The economic impact reached 2.3 billion dollars. The damage from the cyclone was in addition to the effects of the floods in July and August. On that occasion, more than 1,000 persons lost their lives.
The humanitarian crisis
• Figures. More than 3,000 people lost their lives and almost 53,000 were injured. Around 600,000 homes were destroyed and almost a million were damaged.
• Impact on agriculture and livestock. The torrential rains and hurricane winds damaged more than 900,000 hectares of crops. According to FAO figures, 350,000 heads of livestock were lost. Fishing production was also affected by the destruction of thousands of fisheries. Such losses considerably worsened the quality of life of a population with high levels of poverty.
Sources: FAO, Disaster Management Bureau.
Background information on Bangladesh
• Population (2004): 153.3 million
• Human Development Index (2007): 140th out of 177 countries
• Gender-related Development Index (2007): 120th out of 177 countries
• GDP per capita (2005): $ 2,053
• Life expectancy at birth (2000-2005): 63.1
• Infant mortality rate per 1,000 live births (2005): 54
• Undernourished population (2002-2004): 30%
• Population not using an improved water source (2004): 26%
• Adult literacy rate (%) (1995-2005): 47.5
• Official Development Assistance (2005): $1,320,000
• Political system: People’s Republic
Source: Human Development Report, 2007
Maps
Source: Reliefweb.
The humanitarian response
• Main donors. The main donor was Saudia Arabia, which, with 100 million dollars, provided 51.3% of all donations. It was followed by the Central Emergency Response Fund, with 10.1% and the United States with 10%.
• Coordination. A United Nations team was formed immediately to assess the emergency, identify needs, and determine the damage incurred by the districts most affected by the cyclone. The government coordinated its actions with the donors through an extensive disaster relief programme (governmental body that has been working to reduce the risk of disasters since 2003).
• Previous presence of donors. Due to the floods in July and August, several humanitarian international actors were working in the country.
Source: OCHA-FTS
More information
• OCHA Reports. Information on the effects of the cyclone and humanitarian action.
• Funding data. Information from OCHA’s Financial Tracking Service, with data on donors’ funding
The Bangladesh crisis in the HRI
The magnitude of the damage caused by Cyclone Sidr in Bangladesh justifies the analysis of the crisis in the HRI 2008. The number of deaths and the number of affected people were the highest of any natural phenomena in 2007. The affected population’s needs were enormous and very diverse, which posed a great challenge for the humanitarian community. Although the main focus of the assessment is the response to the cyclone, donor actions following the floods in July and August were also analysed.
Other crises assessed in the HRI 2008