Background

Thousands of people were forced to flee their homes after Cyclone Aila swept through the Bay of Bengal and hit coastal areas of eastern India and Bangladesh on Monday 25 May 2009.

In Bangladesh the cyclone caused a 13ft (almost 4m) storm surge that swept inland and brought heavy rains, high winds and flash floods. The surge inundated large swathes of land while the rain and high winds damaged or destroyed thousands of homes and killed almost 200 people in Bangladesh and eastern India.

In the hours prior to the storm World Vision staff worked with local community members and the authorities to evacuate tens of thousands of locals to cyclone shelters and other community buildings.

The storm surge contaminated drinking wells and other sources. Rice crops, shrimp farms, ponds and trees were also severely damaged.

World Vision's response

India
World Vision assisted 20,000 people with relief supplies including food, clothing, tarpaulins and kitchen utensils.

Bangladesh
World Vision distributed rice and water to thousands of cyclone survivors and provided 80,000 people with emergency relief. Seven-day food packs containing dry rations were also distributed to approximately 16,000 families.

In the seaport town of Mongla, World Vision provided clean drinking water to some 10,000 people affected by the cyclone. World Vision also operated 5 community based water purification units, providing clean water to more than 89,000 people.

World Vision’s disaster response team in Bangladesh helped evacuate thousands of people to cyclone-proof shelters before the storm hit.

Children sponsored by Australians

No sponsored children were reported injured. One area where sponsored children live in Bangladesh was affected by damage to housing and other infrastructure. World Vision provided support and relief to the affected families.