Cyclone Sidr hit Bangladesh and eastern India yesterday triggering a five metre (15 feet) high tidal surge. This, combined with winds of over 200km per hour, devastated coastal areas and flattened villages in its path.

Sidr is thought to be the biggest cyclone to hit the Bangladesh coast since 1991. Over 700,000 have been directly affected, either injured, displaced, left homeless or losing their livelihoods. There is an estimated death toll of 580.

ActionAid’s Emergency Adviser for Asia, Dr Unnikrishnan PV said that timely prevention efforts forestalled many deaths. "Thousands of lives have been saved through early warning and early response mechanisms. In Bangladesh 3.2 million people were evacuated within a short time by the government and aid agencies."

However, he also said that the region has suffered major devastation. "We are getting more reports about the level of destruction and the number of houses lost and people stranded. Immediate relief and longer-term rehabilitation efforts will be essential."

ActionAid has sent assessment teams to the affected areas to gauge needs. They carried with them and are already delivering clean water, and will be providing dry food, oral rehydration solutions and water purification tablets.