Two Years After the Severe Cyclone

Thousands of Sidr-hit families still homeless

14 November 2009, 17:00 PM

Sohrab Hossain, Patuakhali

Sidr victim Marium Begum with her child in lap stands in front of her makeshift house on Mandiabad embankment under Mirzaganj upazila of Patuakhali district. Most of the victims who lost their dwelling houses are still passing days in miseries even after two years of the severe cyclone.Photo: STAR

Most of the Sidr victims who lost their dwelling houses in Patuakhali are still passing days in miseries even after two years of the severe cyclone. A large number are living in makeshift huts, as they have no ability to build new houses. According to district administration, 2.25 lakh people of 54,006 families became shelterless due to cyclone Sidr that hit the district on this day in 2007. Of the victims, only 14,110 families got houses under the assistance programme taken by the government and different donor countries and agencies. Sources said, 2,490 more new houses are under construction in the district while 37,406 families are still shelterless in seven upazilas. "I got Tk 5,000 as financial help from army personnel to rebuild my house just after Sidr. But it was too small an amount. So, I'm still living at a hut with my six family members," Sahina Begum of Mandiabad village in Mirzaganj upazila told this correspondent. During Sidr, Sonabaru, 50, mother of Sahina, was killed while Sahina saved her five-year-old child Hridoy and others by climbing a tree. "We heard that the government is giving house to Sidr victims but we are yet to get one. We face more difficulties when water enters our makeshift hut in rainy season," said Ponu Munshi of the same village. Fifteen people were killed in Mandiabad village out of a total of 115 in Mirzaganj upazila, according to the upazila administration. Only Tk 5,000 were given to those whose houses were damaged fully and Tk 2,000 to Tk 3,000 to the partially affected families. About 1,200 dwelling houses were damaged in Dewlee Subidkhali union under Mirzaganj upazila while 650 families got houses from different international organisations including Muslim Aid. "I got a house from Muslim Aid. But many others still live under open sky," said Kalam Mridha of Charkhali village. Contacted, Md Reaz Ahmed, deputy commissioner (DC) of Patuakhali said, they are trying their best to mitigate the miseries of the victims. "Every shelterless family will get house in phases," he said. Of the donor agencies, Saudi Arabian government has already built 4,740 houses in Galachipa, Kalapara and Mirzaganj upazilas of the district. The country also assured the authorities concerned of building a total of 8,500 houses. Speed Trust, a local NGO, built 3,000 houses, Islamic Relief Bangladesh built 1,278 houses and British Red Cross built 925 houses. Sources said, 1,770 more houses are now being built under Japanese government aid while 720 more houses under the grant of Bangladesh government. District administration also distributed Tk 40.50 crore and 2,262 bundles of CI sheets among Sidr victims to repair their damaged houses. But all the victims were not lucky enough to get financial assistance and CI sheets, as the allocation was too meagre against huge demand, sources said. According to local sources, Sidr damaged 54,006 houses fully, 1,34,687 houses partially, 1,161 educational institutions and 847 km roads in the district.