Oxfam's Liz Lucas on Bangladesh's Cyclone Sidr and Global Warming

Cyclone Sidr struck Bangladesh and killed 3,500 people on Nov. 15, 2007. Eight days later, Oxfam America press officer Liz Lucas spoke to New England Ethnic News about the disaster's impacts on some 5.5 million people.

She added that global warming and the increase in natural disasters worldwide aren't mere coincidences, according to a new report of Oxfam America that the international relief and development organization will release on Nov. 26.

Following is an edited and condensed transcript of NEWz' phone interview with Lucas on Nov. 23.

Bangladesh seems to be so susceptible to cyclones. Is its sea-level terrain the main reason?
One of the ways that we're looking at Bangladesh and the cyclone is, as it relates to global warming, quite frankly. While scientists can't say that this cyclone has been caused by global warming, we look at it through the trend of increasingly strong cyclones. Bangladesh will need to be prepared for more events like this, as a result of climate change.

Oxfam America is looking at global warming as a cause of increasingly strong cyclones?
At Oxfam America, we have raised our climate change program significantly. It's going to become a major part of our future work.

On Monday (Nov. 26, 2007), we'll release a rather large report about the way climate change is affecting the weather, which is affecting humanitarian emergencies and disasters. Bangladesh is really a solid example of that.

What exactly about climate change does this new Oxfam report cover?
It explains how climate change and global warming has affected humanitarian disasters.

Global warming and Bangladesh's low terrain aside, is there anything else about Bangladesh that makes it susceptible to these cyclones — anything within its infrastructure, for instance?
Poverty is a main issue...and because the areas aren't developed. However, the government has been (implementing) a really effective disaster preparedness system. Its evacuation of 1.5 million families saved probably many, many lives.

What did the government of Bangladesh do to so significantly improve its disaster preparedness?
They've been using a lot of meteorological information, early warning systems. They actually put loud speakers on mosques and used sirens and volunteers with megaphones. They had evacuation plans and places for people to go. Cyclone shelters. They all played a major part.

How much advance notice did the people in Bangladesh have, that Cyclone Sidr was coming?
A few days.

CYCLONE SIDR's FURY

What is the extent of the damage caused by Cyclone Sidr?
This is the strongest cyclone in Bangladesh since 1991, when a storm there killed 138,000 people. According to Reuters, Cyclone Sidr has killed 3,500 people. But many more have been affected by it.

The government of Bangladesh estimates that 5.5 million people have been affected, and over 1.1 million homes have been partially or fully destroyed. Also, 1.4 million acres of agricultural cropland have been destroyed, which has serious food security implications in the coming months.

How has the reaction been in New England to this cyclone in Bangladesh?
You were the first person and only, so far, to contact me.

When you say that Sidr has been the strongest cyclone in Bangladesh since the 1991 storm that killed 138,000 people, do you mean in terms of fatalities or people displaced or the affected agricultural croplands? Or all the above?
All the above actually.

How much of Bangladesh was affected geographically? Is the damage concentrated in a certain area?
Yes. It's actually in the south and southwest. It hit 30 out of 64 districts there, so that's quite a large area.

What kinds of immediate dangers or needs exist right now due to the cyclone?
The immediate needs right now deal with water sanitation, food distribution, waste removal and shelter.

There is absolutely a need for immediate support to decrease potential problems from water-related diseases, and to support the food security and temporary shelter needs for those affected.

ONGOING NEEDS

What kind of disaster relief efforts are going on now?
Oxfam is working to provide quality water for cooking, drinking, personal hygiene, and we are constructing latrines.

Where are the displaced persons staying now?
Right now they're staying in temporary shelters. Agencies are working to rebuild temporary shelters, and more are being built.

For all these 5.5 million people?
What's interesting is that 5.5 million people have been affected, but only 1.1 million homes have been partially or fully destroyed.

How much has physical access been a problem in reaching the affected disaster sites?
Definitely the roads are blocked by debris. The Bangladeshi army used ships and helicopters in orders to reach thousands of survivors. For a lot of people, the only way that they were receiving aid was through food dropped out of a helicopter.

Besides the immediate needs of water sanitation, food, shelter and waste removal, what other needs exist?
Agencies are also looking at rehabilitating communities, helping people get the tools they need for starting their lives over, in a nutshell.

Does rehabilitating communities mean meeting long-term needs for the cylcone survivors?
Yes. Some of it (involves) asset loss — household items, clothes, shelter, livestock, crops, food reserves and tools. They don't have the means financially to replace these items. Agencies are trying to look (at) how they can help restore livelihoods, which is key.

It sounds like rehabilitation is lot like restoring normalcy back to their lives.
Exactly. That's a great way to put it. And a lot of these places, "normalcy" is not going to be "normal" for a while, but self-sufficiency is really important. And sense of community.

OXFAM

What typically is the profile of an Oxfam international relief worker?
The profile changes dramatically, actually. I get this question quite frequently, and I haven't quite figured out how to respond to it. (Workers may have) degrees in international development and international relations. (They're in) direct field operations, water and sanitation, logisticians. They all come with quite a different background.

Can you give an idea of some different types of international relief workers?
There are country directors, people who are more focused on policy aspects, media people, water sanitation engineers. Then there's program officers who work directly with implementing long-term development programs.

Some people may have the idea that they can sign up to work for Oxfam and eventually be deployed abroad the next time that there's a disaster. Can you straighten out this picture?
Yes. At most agencies such as Oxfam and a lot of the major INGOs, international non-governmental organizations, it takes years. We've found that making sure that people are really well-qualified before sending them to the field, really impacts our programs and makes it much more effective.

There are great volunteer programs out there that do take folks that don't have significant international experience, and that's a great step. But as for people at organizations like Oxfam, it takes years.

Can you talk about some of the things that Oxfam does to get its staff well-qualified?
We tend to hire people with experience. With international experience, having worked on the ground, having had development or humanitarian experience abroad.

Why should people care about disaster victims who are so far away, in Bangladesh or anywhere else?
Because we are talking about human lives.

Source: go-NEWz.com

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