Harichand Mondal and his wife Dipti Mondal used to live in a tin shed house in Harinkhola village under Deluti Union Parishad of Paikgachha Upazila along with their children. The area is located
50 kilometers from the divisional city of Khulna and is on the banks of the Haborkhali river.
Cyclone Remal—which hit the Bangladeshi coast on May 25, 2024—uprooted their house and damaged their crops. Since then, the family was living under the open sky.
At that time, Bangladesh Red Crescent Society (BDRCS) extended their support to Harichand and his family.
Dipti Mondal told Dhaka Tribune that their family often faced difficulty finding food. They had to walk for about 10 minutes every day to fetch water from someone else's tube well. Her landless husband, Harichand, worked as a day laborer during the dry season and earned a living by fishing in the river during the rainy season.
With the help of the Red Crescent Society, they received financial assistance of Tk1,15,700 to build a house, install a drinking water tank and a hygienic toilet.
Dipti Mondal said: "We might still have been living under the open sky till date,."
Another resident villager, Manoranjan Mallick, told Dhaka Tribune that he and his son used to work on someone else's land and ran a household. Their house was made of straw and a shack. Since everything was destroyed in Remal, some members of the family took shelter in a neighbor's house for three months. He and his wife lived in the shack. Later, the Red Crescent gave them Tk50,000. With the money, the family rebuilt their house.
Md Tariqul Islam, Unit Level Officer of Khulna District Red Crescent, said that after Remal, dry food and cash were given to the affected people. Two projects are currently underway in Paikgachha Upazila for long-term rehabilitation of these families.
In 2024, Cyclone Remal hit the Mongla and Kepupara coastal areas of Bangladesh. According to the Meteorological Department, the maximum wind speed of the devastating cyclone was 111 kilometers per hour. Heavy rainfall and tidal waves flooded the coastal districts with 5-8 feet of water. 19 districts were affected by the impact of Cyclone Remal.
The Bangladesh Red Crescent Society provided assistance to a total of 283,000 people under the Cyclone Remal Operation program. Among the emergency assistance, 28,208 families in 11 affected districts were provided with cash assistance of Tk6,000 each. Another 16,600 families were provided with 7-day food ration. In healthcare, 11,089 patients received primary healthcare and 1,852 received psychosocial support.
Under its water, sanitation and hygiene programme, 359,250 liters of drinking water were distributed, 8,500 jerry cans and hygiene kits were provided to 2,750 families. 2,000 families were provided with essential shelter equipment and 9,600 families received tarpaulins and bedding.
Moreover, 535 families in Pirojpur and Khulna districts were assisted in rebuilding their damaged houses. Each family was provided with necessary shelter materials. Additionally, 663 families were given cash assistance of Tk25,000 each and hygiene kits for constructing latrines. At least 15 new tube wells were installed and repaired and 25 rainwater harvesting plants were set up.
Meanwhile, 550 families were provided with cash assistance of Tk35,000 each for livelihood restoration and 253 families were given training under the supervision of government livestock officers.
In the health sector, 535 families received guidance on healthcare. At least 20,000 people were trained on vaccination, disease prevention and health awareness.
Moreover, five Mother and Child Health Centers were reconstructed and 8 were equipped. Seven roads were also repaired in these areas along with the reconstruction of a cyclone shelter in Pirojpur.
Around 9 lakh people were affected in Pirojpur district in Cyclone Remal. The Red Crescent Society has provided food and cash assistance to 1,100 families in four most affected unions there through the livelihood program.
Another affected person, Sanjit Halder, told Dhaka Tribune that his crops were washed away during the cyclone and his house became unusable. He and his mother were forced to take shelter in a neighboring house. The Red Crescent Society stood by Sanjit Halder during this difficult time, he admitted.
A fisherman named Shahidul Sheikh said that his house and trees were uprooted in the cyclone. On May 25, he took shelter in a relative's house with his wife and three children. A month ago, he built a house with Tk50,000 provided by the Red Crescent Society. He also received Tk25,000 for building a toilet and another Tk35,000 for starting a business.
Bangladesh Red Crescent Society Chairman Major General (Retd) Prof Azizul Islam said: "The
Red Crescent Society has all kinds of preparations to provide humanitarian services to people. We have a budget allocated for some areas, especially the coastal areas, and we do not need permission from our national headquarters to release this budget on an urgent basis."
