Program Successes: Disaster Management

·         In response to Cyclones Sidr (2007) and Aila (2009), USAID provided assistance in the southern coastal districts of Bangladesh.  USAID Bangladesh responded by providing $110 million worth of assistance including:  emergency food rations; water and sanitation infrastructure and rehabilitation; restoration of livelihoods; various reconstruction projects and construction of family shelter. From these response and reconstruction programs, a total of 1.02 million people were benefited. Moreover, these reconstruction programs improved agriculture production, increasing household income through temporary employment opportunities and increasing purchasing power of the affected households. In coordination with the Government of Bangladesh, USAID is currently constructing 100 multipurpose cyclone shelters in the most-needed areas.  These shelters will provide safe havens for up to 180,000 inhabitants during cyclone and flood seasons, and serve as schools and community centers during non-emergency conditions. USAID also constructed more than 3,500 family shelters in the cyclone affected areas.   

• In response to 2007 flash flooding, seasonal flooding, and local tornadoes, USAID provided both food and non-food commodities.  The response included: food rations, shelter materials, clothing, and hygiene and sanitation materials.
• In response to a 2004 flood, USAID provided approximately $8.2 million to assist victims most affected by the flood. This included resources from the Mission’s ongoing food aid program.
• Since 2000, USAID has helped to build 245 multi-purpose disaster shelters in the country’s most flood prone areas. These shelters were crucial to the flood affected populace during the 2004 flood and in Cyclone Sidr in 2007. An additional 100 are currently under construction.

Most recently, USAID completed two six-year Food Assistance and Disaster Management programs. The programs’ many achievements include:

• Increased the flood forecasting and early warning system from 3 to 10 days.
• Built 9,000 flood proofing infrastructures, along with the repair of small roads, embankments, bridges, culverts and cyclone shelters.
• Trained 620 Government of Bangladesh Disaster Management Committees on disaster preparedness, response and early warning systems.
• 13,000 disaster volunteers were trained, including the Cyclone Preparedness Program volunteers.
• Cyclone warning awareness increased significantly. Before the project only 33% of endangered areas received warning while at the end 90% receive a warning that cyclone is coming.