Cyclone and role of media
On 29 April, 1991, 'Cyclone Gorky' struck the southeast coast of Bangladesh. The cyclone's wrath was immense, and over 140,000 people lost their lives as a result of its fury; millions of others lost their homes and their livelihoods.
Cyclones, floods and tropical storms are not new to Bangladesh the country has experienced several in its 36-year lifespan. Those whose responsibility is to deal with the aftermath the government, the emergency services, aid agencies, and healthcare providers, have all had to learn from mistakes undoubtedly made while dealing with each and every disaster.
This year, on November the 15, 'Cyclone Sidr' made landfall. Thanks to the programmes to build cyclone shelters, many such shelters now exist (550 in the south). According to the BBC, megaphones in mosques, adverts in newspapers, alerts on the Internet, and volunteers on the ground were used to warn people of the impending danger. Yet, the death toll has already hit thousands, with estimates that up to 10,000 lives were tragically lost as a result of Sidr's cruel swipe across the country.
Unquestionably, the task of dealing with such a crisis is not an easy one much of the terrain is unfavourable, the poor lack literacy, many people live in remote rural areas. We hear that numerous lives were lost because villagers were hesitant about deserting their homes and livestock to go to the cyclone shelters, and we hear that fishermen were reluctant to heed the warnings by abandoning the occupation on which their livelihood depends. As anyone who works in healthcare will know, altering behaviour is an immense challenge, a challenge which is compounded by a lack of education, understanding and information.
Recently, Galib Hassan of Texas wrote to question the role that the media has played in all of this. Like Mr. Hassan, I too have been following media coverage on Sidr. Ironically, it was from the BBC, and not through the Bangladeshi media that I, sitting here in the UK, first learnt of the impending cyclone. Revisiting the 14th November edition of The Daily Star, I note that the approaching storm was listed as the 10th article on the front-page index after articles on Benazir Bhutto, and Biman Hajj flights.
Undoubtedly the media plays an enormous role in preparing for, or telling people about, such a disaster. Community radio broadcasts and local papers could help inform the rural poor - not just when the disaster is about to strike (when it's too late to make last-minute arrangements), but throughout the year, so that people are reminded of the real dangers of not heeding warnings.
This year, Sidr left much of the country without electricity and water. What warnings were given to the urban and semi-urban population, lucky enough to have access to TV, newspapers and the Internet? I spoke to relatives in Dhaka the day before the cyclone. No one told me they were keeping stocks of water and other essentials, planning for power failure, or changing their travel plans. In fact, they didn't even mention the cyclone until we bought the topic up. Did the media not give out warnings?
I'm curious about many things: what have been the changes in cyclone preparedness since the last cyclone? What exactly is a cyclone shelter, and how does it work? Where are they situated, and how are they maintained? How do people know of their existence? Is there provision of food and water? What security is there? What are the methods used to predict and warn people about cyclones? What should people in towns as well as villages do to prepare for such a crisis? Who or what will be the sources of information? Who is providing aid? How are relief efforts coordinated? How can people help? What will be the aftermath? What health precautions should people take? How will facilities such as Dhaka's ICDDR,B cope with the influx of the sick from outside Dhaka, and with the increase in water-borne diseases? How will farmers and fishermen be helped? What will be the economic consequences? The questions go on and on; why was there so little (if any) coverage about these? The Bangladeshi media needs to help answer these and many other questions.
Finally, let me tell you about another BBC article. It recounts the story of Mr. Haroon Ukil, a villager who lost his wife and two daughters to Sidr's rage. 'That evening we went to bed as normal,' Mr. Ukil recalls,'….neither my wife nor I had heard any warning about a cyclone……In the morning I found the bodies of my loved ones and had to bury them myself.'
The Bangladeshi media must ask itself if it did service to Mr. Ukil and his family. Then it must think about how it can change in the future, to try and ensure that there are no more sad stories of lives lost due to a lack of awareness. Just as is the case for the government and aid providers, the media must not shirk its responsibilities it potentially holds the lives of many thousands in its powerful hands.
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