Bangladesh was rocked yesterday by the Cyclone Sidr, which ripped through the southern part of the country and possibly killed over a thousand people. It has been described as one of the most vicious ones ever, riding wailing winds of up 240 km/hr along with tidal surges. The death toll is expected to rise above one thousand, maybe much more, and it would be extremely difficult to describe the suffering of victims and the sheer scale of the loss that has been inflicted upon them. At this time of great human tragedy, my thoughts also go out to my beloved Sundarbans, which bore the brunt of the cyclone, and the countless trees and animals which have been affected by this catastrophe. I know that the country has barely enough resources to deal with the people, and the animals will almost certainly be ignored, and this only serves to deepen my sorrow right now. The national grid failed, the entire country suffered from a blanket blackout, and many places still have no electricity. All communication lines and supply facilities have been severely damaged, and it will take weeks just to even calculate the damage to all property.
Through all this, one cannot help but be impressed at the resilience of all those individuals to whom natural disasters are an inseparable part of life. Many Bangladeshis, especially in the southern part of the country, live on low-lying areas and suffer from severe floods every year. In many ways, it is a remarkable fact that “only” over a thousand people have died – a similar cyclone in the early 90s killed 150,000 people, and the one in 1970 directly caused the deaths of over 500,000 individuals. People are better prepared now, the warning systems are rudimentary but efficient, and by far and large, people know what to do when a storm is brewing. I’m absolutely certain that many of them will be back at work within two weeks. They cannot afford not to work; it is necessary that the tears are wiped away as soon as possible, for daily survival remains the ultimate challenge, regardless of a cyclone. Those who fail to get on their feet quickly might never be able to do so. And maybe for the millionth time in my life, I’m yet again deeply thankful for my family, friends and the life that I continue to enjoy, and can only hope and pray for all those affected by Sidr.
Jacque and Tucker, thank you very much – I truly appreciate your messages and your concern.
