World Vision has begun its major emergency relief assistance to survivors of Cyclone Sidr with a distribution of 7-day relief packs to 1600 families in Kalkini on November 20.

Women, children, and the elderly including people with disabilities gathered at the distribution site set up near World Vision's Kalkini office to receive relief packs designed to meet immediate needs for a week to 10 days.

While waiting for the packs to arrive, World Vision staff busied themselves with assessment of need and handing out "relief cards" to those worst affected.

The packs contained 15 kilos of rice, 2 kilos of lentils, 2 kilos of potatoes, 2 kilos of sugar and 1 kilo of salt. They also contained one sari, one lungi and a blanket.

"Our homes were destroyed and all our things had been washed away. This package is a great help," said Rima, who had come with her mother Rahatullah to receive the relief package.

Rima described how her house had collapsed seconds after her family moved out. "we were lucky that our uncle told us to evacuate the house," she said, "otherwise we would have lost our lives under the ruins."

The families who received distribution were selected on several criteria - whether they have lost their home, lack of food, families headed by women, or families with young children or people living with disabilities.

Rima's father and older brother, the breadwinners of their seven-member family, could not find their usual work as labourers because the farm where they used to work was destroyed by the cyclone.

"I feel better now, because we have some food and clothing," Rima said.

Immediately after the cyclone hit, World Vision was able to provide survival relief package to 2,800 families with dry food. Now, the 1600 families that received these relief packs in three locations are the first of an estimated 20,000 families that would be getting these packs by November 25, 2007.

"Hundreds of staff and volunteers have been working day and night on the planning so that these distributions can be carried out in an orderly manner," says World Vision Bangladesh operations director Theophil Hajong. "The energy of the teams is high as we move into action."