Conference turris::womannotes-v3

811.0. "Bangladesh Cyclone" by USWRSL::RETINA_NU () Fri May 10 1991 15:20

    		B A N G L A D E S H   C Y C L O N E   R E L I E F
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    "Life is not fair", I said to myself when I heard the news.
    As some of you know, disaster has struck Bangladesh!  On Tuesday night,
    April 30th, a cyclone battered the coast line at 148 miles per hour
    with 25 feet high tidal waves for 8 hours. 	The government has estimated
    a death toll to reach 300,000 from the worst natural calamity in the
    history of Bangladesh (formerly East Pakistan).

    Chittagong, the major port and industrial city has been completely
    paralyzed - making it impossible for people to communicate from
    outside.  Most of the coastal land and islands are still completely 
    immersed under water.  Water that was once clear and filled with fish is 
    now black from corpses.  Children are dying either from dehydration or 
    drinking the contaminated water.

    The following information is for those interested in helping
    the people there:


    Many have asked me about how they can contribute to non-government 
    organizations which are directly located in Bangladesh.  BSN (Bangladesh
    Support Network) is a registered organization of concerned Bangladeshis
    in the US.  BSN directly funnels its funds to two grassroots organizations
    in Bangladesh.  These two have volunteer cores with experience from
    previous relief work:

    1. 	Nari Pokkho (For Women)
    is an organization by and for social, economic and political justice
    for women.  It was started in 1983 to organize women's legal and human
    rights.  Nari Pokkho works directly with poor women.

    2.	Bangladesh Bhumiheen Shamity (BBS)
    represents more than 60,000 peasants in Bangladesh.  For the last 10 
    years, BBS has helped organize landless peasants to obtain unutilized
    government lands to defend their interests within existing legal 
    framework.

    BSN can be reached at 275 Sussex Street, San Francisco, CA 94131.
    The major advantages of BSN are that it will operate at no overhead
    and give directly to two organizations that are focused on "rebuilding" 
    the lives of the millions of survivors who have lost everything through
    this monstrous natural disaster. The funds will reach Bangadesh by
    June at the latest.

    Support for relief is also provided through the Red Crescent (Islamic
    version of the Red Cross), Oxfam, and other organizations which operate
    at an overhead.  For more information, you may contact me directly.

    -Nusrat