As Cyclone Sidr moves northward in the Bay of Bengal, more than 40,000 Red Cross and Red Crescent volunteers are busily spreading the word that evacuations are necessary and are supporting shelters in India and Bangladesh.
Throughout the region, disaster risk reduction and preparedness have been major priorities. Today, community-based efforts to be ready before emergencies arise is proving to be extremely effective in keeping people safe.
In Bangladesh, the Cyclone Preparedness Centre has been open around the clock and is coordinating volunteer-led efforts to warn hundreds of thousands of area residents that evacuation orders have been issued. Residents receive warnings through the raising of special flags, through megaphones, hand sirens, and by beating drums.
The Bangladesh Red Crescent Society supports nearly 1,600 cyclone shelters that have been pre-identified.
In India, State branches of the India Red Cross Society in Orissa and West Bengal have also begun to respond, mobilizing highly trained teams of volunteers and pre-positioning 40,000 packs of non-food disaster relief items that will aid in the recovery process.
In the days ahead, the Red Cross Red Crescent Movement will provide additional humanitarian relief as the impact of SIDR becomes more well known.
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As Cyclone SIDR moves northward in the Bay of Bengal, more than 40,000 Red Cross and Red Crescent volunteers are busily spreading the word that evacuations are necessary and are supporting shelters in India and Bangladesh. Insert
(p16718)
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