Extending Aid Once Again to Tropical Cyclone Victims

When Tropical Cyclone Aila struck the southern coastal region of Bangladesh on May 25 this year, resulting in heavy casualties and the displacement of hundreds of thousands of people, our Formosan relief team travelled to the affected regions after the disaster to offer assistance. (For details, please refer to News Magazine No.204). In late September, knowing that many more people were still struggling to overcome the effects of the disaster, Supreme Master Ching Hai instructed our fellow initiates to go back to render further aid.

The relief team arrived in Bangladesh in early October and found that there were still about 5 million people in need of urgent help in the Khulna Division located in the south-western region of Bangladesh. Although some international organizations had already offered assistance, much more was still needed due to the large number of people affected. They were informed by staff from the Bangladesh Rural

Advancement Committee (BRAC) and the Water, Sanitation and Hygiene Program (WASH Program), that there were 1,500 households in 5 remote areas who required immediate help. With God’s blessing, the team managed to obtain the relief items at low prices, including rice, cooking oil, salt and lentils; and delivered them to those 5 most affected areas on October 7, accompanied by several BRAC members. On the way, they witnessed devastating and heart-breaking scenes. Houses and crop fields were inundated as far as the eye could see. On both sides of the road, people built simple shelters with bamboo, straw and canvas. Many families continued living in their flooded homes by elevating their beds above the water with bamboo, and going in and out in small boats. The BRAC members told them that the water had not receded much since May.

The next day, upon returning to Dhaka, the relief team’s interpreter, Mr. Forhadul Babu, lovingly assisted them to purchase more needed items at very low prices from his family, thus allowing 600 more relief packages to be prepared and distributed to more women and children in poor areas.

Expenditures by Supreme Master Ching Hai
for Tropical Cyclone Relief Work in Bangladesh

Description	Amount(BDT)	Receipt
Food (salt, lentils, oil and rice)	309,000	B1
600 gift bags, containing salt, sugar, lentils, and vegan chocolates.	330,000	B2
Labor fee and transportation expenses	50,000	B3
Total	BDT 689,000 (US$10,000)

* Throughout the relief operation, fellow initiates paid
for their own traveling, food, and accommodation expenses.