World Vision Bangladesh has begun distributing rice and filtered water to survivors of Cyclone Aila - the first aid from the humanitarian agency to reach a targeted population of almost 80,000 people.

Nearly 16,000 seven-day food packs containing dry rations are now being prepared - to meet the urgent need of survivors, including tens of thousands of children. World Vision relief staff have already been working alongside government workers to hand out rice and water.

The cyclone blew through India and Bangladesh on May 25, killing some 200 people and destroying thousands of acres of crops.

Some four million people in Bangladesh alone have been impacted by the cyclone, with local media reports stating 130 killed, 800 injured and 500 people missing.

In Bangladesh, almost 80,000 acres of crops were destroyed and 270,000 homes damaged or swept away, many of them by a storm surge of up to eight feet, which swept through coastal districts.

In India, some 68 people were killed by heavy rains that caused deadly mudslides and slowed rescue efforts. World Vision India has been conducting assessments in West Bengal project areas to establish the needs.

In Bangladesh, World Vision's disaster response teams based in its grassroots Area Development Programmes (ADPs) helped evacuate thousands of people to school-cyclone shelters, each one accommodating up to 2,000 people.

World Vision will soon start to hand out seven-day packs of food supplies to nearly 16,000 families, both in and outside World Vision's programme areas. The following areas were being targeted: Laudobe - 3,000 families; Mongla - 3,000 families; and Assasuni- 2,650 families. In addition, relief staff were targeting Shyamnagar, a particularly hard-it area where some 7,000 families would be given food packs.

World Vision staff have been conducting damage assessments in their programme areas. World Vision's zonal coordinator, Dominic Purification, speaking from the port city of Mongla, said a lack of clean water was one critical issue and water purification units were essential. One was already working in Mongla, with 22,000 litres already distributed. Another two were planned for the disaster zone. Each is capable of pumping 10,000 litres of clean water per-day.

In India, World Vision is assessing the situation in its programme areas in West Bengal state. Some houses in Kolkata had collapsed and aid was being provided out of emergency programme relief funds. There was minimal impact in the programme areas of Duars ADP and Himalaya ADP.

The agency has three pre-positioning units - two based near Kolkata - stocked with non-food items that are ready to go if needed.

Contacts:

World Vision Bangladesh
John Gomes, Communications Officer:
Cell: (+880) 1713-480332
Office: (+880) 2-8815515-7; 8813555-7

World Vision India
Joy Christina, Media Relations and Communications:
Cell: +919840798734

For the latest updates on this and other crises and World Vision's on going development and advocacy work visit www.wvasiapacific.org