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3 lakh Sidr-hit people still live in polythene hut, tents

UNB, Bagerhat
Some 2,86.000 people in 12 coastal districts which were severely ravaged by cyclone Sidr last November arc still Hying in tents or polythene-made huts.
After successfully handling the immediate post-Sidr humanitarian assistance by providing food and non-food items to the victims, the government, development partners and non-government organisations seem to have been failed to provide permanent shelters to the affected people.
Officials in the Shelter Working Group (SWG), a conglomerate of around 200 organisations, including government, NGOs. UN agencies, and civil society groups, said only a quarter of die required rehabilitation has been completed in last six months.
Local people and administra-
tions said sufferings of the people might take a serious turn during the upcoming monsoon as the polythene huts and tents are not enough to protect them from rains or storms.
“We only had received one-time Tk 5,000, tarpaulins, plastic sheeting. or tents, some foods and clothes just after the Sidr," said Rizia Begum, GO. a Sidr victim in Southkliali village of Sharankliola upazilaofBagerhat. on Wednesday.
Rizia said “for the last three months, we are not getting any government or non-govemment helps."
Her neighbours Momtaz, Rawsanara. Ratan Hawlader, Nurunnahar and many others like them expressed similar grievances.
Menwhilc. thousands of people in Pirojpur, Jhalakathi, Patuakhali. Barguna. Sundarbans areas are still living virtually under the open sky.
SWG estimated that 77,428 households need to be constructed for the Sidr-effected people.
SWG officials said the government and some national and international NGOs are keen to work on shelter issues at Southkliali and some other worst affected areas. But, (hey cannot take initiative as countries like Saudi Arabia and India had expressed their interests to build
houses in those areas.
After the Sidr, the Saudi and the Indian governments had assured Bangladesh of setting up 21,200 and 1600 households respectively, but not a single house was constructed until today in accordance with their promises.
“Upazila Nirbahi office has told us that 4,000 households will be built at Southkliali village at the Saudi expenses. But, we see no sign of the Saudi government activi-
ties," Chairman of Southkliali Union Anwar Hossain said.
He was also critical of the Indian government as "It Is not working as per its commitment”.
“The Indian government had said they would reform 10 villages of Southkliali union. But, as far I know till today it did not give a single penny in this regard," he said.
Asked about the progress of their rehabilitation activities, coordinator of Shelter Working Group. BMM Mozharul Huq told UNB they are working hard to provide every family with a house before the Monsoon.
"People's sufferings during the rainy season will be unbearable. It will be very helpful for the Sidr victims, if permanent households could be set up before the monsoon," he said.