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World Vision on the ground caring for families in post-Cyclone Fani devastation

Thousands of children have survived Cyclone Fani in India and Bangladesh—the worst storm to hit the Indian subcontinent in 20 years—but now they have fresh concerns.

“The primary concern of children still living in cyclone shelters is about getting back to school,” says Cherian Thomas, CEO and National Director of World Vision India. “The cyclone damaged or destroyed many schools. We are working quickly not only to repair schools but to help children regain some sense of normalcy, which is so important to their long-term recovery.”

Despite the challenges, children affected by Cyclone Fani in Bhuvaneswar can now feel safe as World Vision India has started setting up Child Friendly Spaces (CFS) in the transition centres where displaced people are staying. We will be setting up about 13 CFSs in Bhubaneswar alone to engage with children and provide a safe place where they can express themselves and be children again.

“Children are extremely vulnerable in situations like these”, said Tabitha Vani, World Vision India’s Child Protection Specialist, Cyclone Fani Response. She further added that “Apart from physical dangers such as being hit by flying debris, children can get separated from their parents in the chaos, and in the aftermath, they are susceptible to communicable diseases. We are prioritising meeting the needs of these children and families. It is wonderful to hear laughter and see children play, draw and just be children again. The cyclone affected displaced children have been through so much hardship, so being able to offer these safe places to children means they can forget about their troubles and start to rebuild."

World Vision India also plans to provide relief aid to 20,000 families, including food, shelter, and water, sanitation and hygiene services.

Working closely with the government, World Vision India emergency teams are assessing damage to homes, schools and local buildings, as well as the impact on livelihoods in the districts of Khordha, Puri and Jagatsinghpur. The organisation responded here following the super cyclone in 1999 and after Cyclone Phailin, which both made landfall in this area.
Initial reports indicate that Cyclone Fani affected an estimated 3 million people in 10,000 villages and 52 urban agglomerations in around 11 districts. The government evacuated over 1.2 million people from vulnerable districts to safer locations, saving countless lives. To date, the death toll stands at 16 people.

Recovery will be difficult for the farmers who lost thousands of hectares of crops and livestock during the storm and the ensuing flooding. That is why World Vision India has livelihood recovery as one of the priority sectors. “We plan to help restore people’s hope and dignity by enabling them to get working as soon as possible,” says Cherian.

In neighbouring Bangladesh, early warning and preventative measures saved countless lives, says Fred Witteveen, National Director of World Vision Bangladesh. “The minimal adverse impact of extreme Cyclone Fani is a testament to the country’s preparedness. We worked with the government and other NGOs to evacuate people in our operational areas within Chattogram, Barisal, Bagerhat, Satkhira, Pirojpur and Barguna districts, to cyclone shelters, but communities themselves were ready and knew what to do when,” says Witteveen. “We are so pleased to see that our long-term investment in building community resilience has paid off. The most vulnerable people, living in the most disaster-prone areas, are better equipped to cope with disasters—and survive.”

World Vision is working to ensure that children and their families are protected and immediately able to get back to their normal lives and that their livelihoods are restored as soon as possible.

Notes to editors:

World Vision has spokespersons available for interviews in Bangladesh and India.

Contact information:

Annila Harris, Humanitarian Emergency Affairs Communications Manager on +91 9650211822 or annila_harris@wvi.org