The Children of Bangladesh Struggle to Recover from Cyclone Sidr
It has been a month since the deadly cyclone hit Bangladesh, leaving families still searching and hoping for the return of the missing, which are estimated around 900 people still missing, mainly women and children.
“The sea took my baby,” one young mother said, recalling in vivid detail how she clung to a tree holding her daughter’s shirt in her mouth like a mother lioness - only to have her ripped away within seconds. “I can’t find her anywhere,” she lamented (Plight of cyclone missing continues).
Hundreds where orphaned by Cyclone Sidr, as it took more than 3,000 lives, leaving an told number of children parentless and to deal with the aftermath alone.
“I lost everyone, I don’t know what to do or where to go,” Mohammad Hasan, 12, said as he stood outside his home.
According to UNICEF some 8.5 million people where affected, approximately half of which where children. With an estimated half a million under the age of five affected, concerns have been raised as children are now at high risk for trafficking. In response UNICEF has set up special protection programs for some 20,000 at risk children, however more programs and resources need to be put into place to ensure the safety of the children, especially the girls who are at greater risk for trafficking and exploitation.
The recovery from Cyclone Sidr looks to remain slow, and more aid is greatly needed to assist in the recovery and rebuilding efforts. More medical assistance, educational programs, physiological support, and protection programs remain in dire need for the children of Bangladesh. Despite any increases in aid, the effects of Cyclone Sidr look to be long lasting, and the ones who need the most attention and time to recover are the children.