Clare Nullis, of the World Meteorological Organization, said the very severe cyclone storm was rapidly strengthening in the Bay of Bengal, threatening the region with severe winds, flooding and landslides that could potentially affect thousands of people. hundreds of thousands of the world’s most vulnerable people.WMO).
The agency’s specialized regional meteorological center in New Delhi forecasts that Mocha will move towards the coasts of Bangladesh and Myanmar. The storm will continue to strengthen until it makes landfall, between Cox’s Bazar in Bangladesh and Kyaukpyu in Myanmar at midday on Sunday.
Almost one million Rohingya refugees in Cox’s Bazar The camps are preparing for the worst. In 2022, they escaped the devastation of Cyclone Sitrang in the Bay of Bengal, which killed 35 people, displaced more than 20,000 and caused more than $35 million in damage in other parts of the country. .
Volunteers on duty
Right now, “Mocha” is go straight to the camps in Bangladesh, according to the International Organization for Migration (IOM).
Speaking from Cox’s Bazar, the agency’s deputy head of delegation, Nihan Erdogan, said Bangladesh has a “giant” preparation plan in placewith which IOM is a partner.
“We trained 100 refugee volunteers in each camp in tornado preparedness and flag alert system in 17 camps run by the IOM,” she said. “Emergency shelter materials and cleaning kits are readily available, and personal protective equipment was made available to all volunteers”.
“We must warn and support our community members so they are ready to respond and protect themselves and others if the weather conditions get worse when the storm hits our camp,” said one of the refugee volunteers, who is spreading the word. messages raise awareness and respond to community requests around the clock.
Meanwhile, the World Health Organization (WHO) ready 40 ambulances and 33 mobile medical teams are on duty at Cox’s Bazar, agency spokeswoman Margaret Harris said.
Satellite image of Hurricane Mocha on Friday.
United Nations refugee agency (UNHCR) has reserved some 230 tons of dry food and 24.5 tons of fortified biscuitsOlga Sarrado, a spokeswoman for the United Nations refugee agency (UNHCR), said aid agencies are ready to provide 50,000 hot meals daily if needed.
“We fear the effects of the storm with heavy rainfall accompanied by landslides and flooding in camps near the sea,” she said. “Access to the camps could be impeded, while power supplies and cell phone towers could be damaged.”
The agency is conducting emergency preparations at refugee camps in Cox’s Bazar and on Bhasan Char island, working with local authorities and their humanitarian partners.
At the ready, in case of need, are shelter materials such as tarpaulins, ropes and rugs along with 11 million water pills, 60,000 buckets of water and 300,000 soaps. About 50 to 100 patients are being transferred to a hospital in Cox’s Bazar, while most of the other patients have been sent home.
The agency is also working with the Bhasan Char government to ensure partners and the humanitarian sector are alert and refugees are kept up to date. With more than 1,000 volunteers, six medical teams, and two ambulances on standby, the preparations included 53 tornado shelters and food supplies. 30,000 Rohingya refugees lived on the island, for 15 days.
Prevention in Myanmar
Jens Laerke, of the United Nations humanitarian agency (OCHA), said local communities in Myanmar are urgently preparing for the arrival of the storm. Myanmar is ready for humanitarian emergency response The plan was activated nationwide earlier this weekhe say.
Humanitarian organizations, particularly in Rakhine, have made available personnel and supplies wherever possible. Crossing Rakhine and the northwest, six million people in need of humanitarian assistanceand 1.2 million people displaced, he said.
OCHA is working to ensure that responders have timely and unhindered access to those in need, he said, warning that the $764 million humanitarian response plan United Nations dollars for Myanmar are only 10% funded.
In addition, 500,000 inter-agency emergency medical kits and 500,000 water purification tablets have been mobilized to the Central Health Archives of the Ministry of Health of Myanmar, WHO said.
Disaster risk reduction
The IOM warned that extreme weather hazards will become more frequent due to climate change in the coming years.
“The the link between climate change, migration and displacement is increasingly urgent around the world,” the agency said, calling on governments to take climate-sustainable adaptation, preparedness and response measures. measures to reduce disaster risk to prevent, reduce, and address displacement from climate disasters and to strengthen people’s resilience.
