Humanity First

Following the catastrophic category IV cyclone Sidr that struck the southern coast of Bangladesh on the 15th November 2007, Humanity First was allocated the island of Rangabali with a population of 100,000. The authorities kindly provided the Forestry Commission building as a base for HF to work from. Over the next two weeks, HF was able to provide food, water, supplies and medical assistance.

A team of doctors from Asia and North America dealt with 1,050 medical cases. Food packs and hot meals were distributed to 16,050 people, and thousands of packs of sanitary items and utensils were also distributed to remote areas on the island. 48,000 litres of bottle water was also distributed. This took time as the road infrastructure was not ideal, and access to other villages was through motor launches. In total, HF had 150 volunteers working around the clock on the ground.

Finally, in order to help the villagers get back on their own feet, 330 water treatment units were distributed which will help them produce safe water locally for months without reliance on battled water. The roofs of two local schools have been repaired to allow the education process to begin again. The emphasis has now shifted to a rehabilitation phase, and HF is reviewing a number of candidate projects around education and health with local authorities. We would like to thank all of our donors who have helped the people of Bangladesh, and ask for one final push to help us deliver the rehabilitation projects.