November 28, 2007 - International Medical Corps has deployed an Emergency Response team to Bangladesh in the wake of tropical cyclone Sidr. The storm hit the coast on November 15 with speeds of up to 155 miles per hour, killing nearly 3,500 people. Some 1,000 people are still missing. In all, an estimated four million lives were impacted by the disaster and 200,000 people were left homeless.

International Medical Corps' team is currently on the ground focusing on providing medical supplies, non-food items, nutrition support, water/sanitation and hygiene. IMC is identifying a local aid group for receiving and distributing emergency supplies, including health kits, water purification tablets, and other aid.

There are an estimated 2.6 million people who require immediate life-saving relief and livelihoods assistance such as food, shelter, clothing, drinking water, sanitation and health care services. Cash support is also greatly needed.

The poor in particular are being severely impacted by the loss of jobs and are in need of support to resume fishery and agricultural activities. The damage to crops is extensive and roads are blocked by debris. The lack of land and water transportation services is also hampering livelihoods, as well as the effective and timely response from relief workers trying to reach villages along the coastline.

The most affected areas are Barisal, Bhola, Patuakhali, Borguna, Jhalokathi, Pirojpur, Bagherat, Khulna, and Satkhira.

While it could take weeks to determine the human and physical toll of the cyclone, local authorities say that the three million survivors who were either evacuated from the low-lying coast or whose homes and villages were destroyed will need support. Aid workers fear inadequate supplies of food, drinking water and medicine could lead to outbreaks of disease.

Bangladesh suffers from devastating seasonal storms and floods. Tropical cyclone Sidr was the worst since 1991 when nearly 143,000 people died. The government has been credited with implementing a much improved disaster preparedness plan, including storm shelters built along the coastline. Although this might have saved hundreds of thousands of lives, Bangladesh is overwhelmed with the aftermath of the storm. Tropical cyclone Sidr triggered a response from local and international NGOs, military, and governments, as teams continue to work around-the-clock to determine the most critical needs and reach survivors in remote areas.

Since its beginning in Afghanistan in 1984, IMC has earned its reputation as one of the world's foremost providers of humanitarian aid because of its unparalleled ability to deliver relief quickly and effectively to victims of natural disaster, conflict, famine, and disease. In recent years, IMC has responded to man-made and natural disasters all over the world, including the 2004 tsunami in Asia, Hurricane Katrina in the United States, and the 2005 earthquake in Pakistan, among many others.