U.N. aid agencies are working with the governments of Bangladesh and Myanmar to prepare for the arrival of Tropical Cyclone Mahasen.
Cyclone Mahasen is expected to make landfall just north of the Bangladeshi city of Chittagong, near the border with Myanmar, in the next 24 to 36 hours.
Although the storm has weakened, it remains a category 1 cyclone with potential to adversely affect the lives of millions of people across the region, said an update issued by the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) on Wednesday.
"Mahasen could be life threatening for millions of people in Bangladesh, Myanmar and India. Humanitarian organizations are working with Governments in Bangladesh and Myanmar to help people prepare for the cyclone, Valerie Amos, U.N. Under Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, was quoted as saying in the press release.
The Bangladesh government has raised the cyclone signal level to seven - on a scale of 10 - and humanitarian agencies in areas likely to be hit have started preparedness activities, including pre-positioning emergency supplies. OCHA also reports that the government has ordered evacuation of some one million people from 15 coastal districts.
The low-lying, heavily populated and disaster-prone country has carried out a number of measures, including the training of community volunteers, the establishment of disaster-preparedness drills and the construction of cyclone shelters, which have helped to reduce the impact of cyclones.
The devastating 1971 Cyclone Bhola claimed an estimated 400,000 lives in Bangladesh. In 2009, when Cyclone Aila struck, volunteers helped evacuate thousands of people from the disaster area, saving countless lives. The death toll from that tragedy was less than 200.
While preparations were underway in Myanmar, one of several boats carrying people from a flood-prone and exposed camp in Rakhine state hit rocks and capsized on Monday. Fifty-eight people remain missing and are feared drowned, according to the government.
In Rakhine, the U.N. and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) have started to implement a preparedness and contingency plan developed in March, which also supports the pre-evacuation plan the Government has developed in recent days. In addition, authorities have started evacuation of tens of thousands of people who were displaced by inter-communal violence over the past 12 months, and moving them from camps to safe buildings or shelters.
Aid organizations in Rakhine, including the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and OCHA, are monitoring as many of the relocations as possible. They are providing the uprooted with information on the storm, on the need to move to safe places and on the government's preparedness plan.
The UNICEF is also attempting to increase its preparedness in Sittwe, the capital of Rakhine, as well as other parts of Myanmar, such as Chin State, Mandalay region and Kachin, where strong winds and heavy rainfall may further worsen the situation of vulnerable communities, the press release added.
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