ogether with the engineer Paolo Moschini, I have been collaborating with the Xaverian missionaries in Bangladesh for a few years now, and we’ve just returned from Bangladesh. I still have in front of my eyes and in my heart, soul and flesh, the immense suffering of our Bengalese friends. Many of them have lost everything, even their children, parents and other dear friends.
During these past days, we’ve not stopped doing our best to resource these people with every means possible we had at our disposal. We have distributed food (tons of biscuits with high proteins), clothing, medicines and millions of pills of chlorine for drinking water.
Yet, the disaster is huge. More than 10,000 deaths, thousands of unaccounted for, and at least 7 million of people affected by this disaster in the districts of Patuakhali, Barguna, Barisal, Bagherat, Pirojpur and Khulna. There are about 2 million without shelter. These numbers might not be right because there are many villages who have not been reached as yet, considered out-cast, and they count for nothing. Simply put, nobody knows that these people exist.
More than 10,000 deaths, thousands of unaccounted for, and at least 7 million of people affected by this disaster
To the physical damages and the loss of human lives, we want to add the total loss (about 90%) of the rice plantations, just about ready to be reaped. Just this past year, Bangladesh suffered numerous disasters during the Monsoon season, and though the people showed great willingness to start again, now they are facing very hard times indeed.
The winter has begun, and it is urgent to provide a shelter for those who do not have one. Drinking water is scarce, because the river waters are infested by a great number of carcasses of dead animals and plants. Due to the vast territory affected by cyclone Sidr, the emergency operations are
complex. The international community has moved quickly; Pope Benedict himself has made an appeal favoring this suffering people. And yet I’m much surprised that the newspapers have stopped carrying this immense tragedy. They seem to eager to let go of these international news, to give more space to players,
glamour and the islands of the rich and famous.
One of my collaborators has called me from Bangladesh, from a village south of Morrelganj. He tells me that there are 1,500 dead accounted for, and that the risk of epidemics is advancing rapidly. Meanwhile, the radio announced that businesses are worried because the Christmas sales might be 10% less than normal.
I do hope to return to Khulna, soon!
(From Xaverian News)