Bangladesh is a cyclone-prone country and one of the most affected countries in the world by climate change. According to UNICEF, National Geographic and Al Jazeera; Bangladesh is among the countries most vulnerable to the effects of climate change. According to 'Arctic Risk Platform'; Bangladesh is only responsible for 0.05% of global CO2 emissions but is highly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change. In recent years; Cyclone Yaas hit in 2021 and Cyclone Amphan, the second “super cyclone” recorded over the Bay of Bengal, affected 10 million people in 19 coastal districts when it hit Bangladesh in 2020. In the year 2019, Monster Cyclone "FANI" hit, which was one of the most powerful cyclones in the Bay of Bengal and in May 2023, the extremely deadly Cyclone Mocha hit. Cyclones are a regular menace in the region but scientists say climate change is likely making them more intense and frequent. According to the Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre (IDMC); with more than 4 million recorded displacements in 2019, Bangladesh had the highest number of forced movements associated with disasters since the IDMC began collecting data on such displacement in 2008. Over the last decade, nearly 700,000 Bangladeshis were displaced on average each year by natural disasters.
24 October 2022, Cyclone Sitrang struck Bangladesh late on Monday night. According to the Ministry of Disaster Management and Relief (MoDMR) of the Government of Bangladesh (GoB), 10,000 houses and crops of 6,000 hectares had been damaged. Another 1,000 fish enclosures were destroyed. At least 35 people died (media news) in 11 districts across Bangladesh. As per Need Assessment Working Group (NAWG), 1.5 million people are affected. According to UNICEF Bangladesh: 2.3 million people, including 1.1 million children were affected by the cyclone Sitrang, including 800,000 refugees. By documenting Cyclone Sitrang in 2022, I presented the same story that happens every year in Bangladesh. The story is not only about 2022, because every year in Bangladesh there are disasters, cyclones, millions of people lose everything, are displaced and are led to a precarious life in a state of poverty day by day. Education of suffering children is a luxury; survival at any cost is the only struggle.
I was at the Akmal Ali fishing wharf in the coastal area of Chittagong city till late night when Cyclone Sitrang hit there. About 80 percent of the hundreds of houses of fishermen families located there were destroyed. The houses that survived were in fragile condition, barely surviving. Their houses were situated in unprotected positions along the sea shore. Hundreds of fishermen families lost everything and became destitute. They were fleeing in search of safe shelter but it was no longer possible to take their houses and belongings to shelters. They may have received relief after the cyclone, but how long will they last with that relief? They have lost everything. These people are not natives, they lost everything in their villages and then migrated to cities but here too they lost everything. Their story of losing everything is a reality every year. I came face-to-face with the Rabeya's family in Banshkhali, as she tried, but could not, to light a fire in the stove to feed (relief food) his starving family. Because as soon as Cyclone Sitrang hit, water entered and destroyed his house, along with the stove in the house. This is a symbol of the devastation of cyclone Sitrang. On the other hand, the wailing of men, women and children in Banshkhali and Hatia island for fresh water, their journey for miles in search of fresh water. Coastal areas are in dire need of fresh water since Cyclone Sitrang hit, as salt water is all around. Their houses were submerged and they were suffering from lack of fresh water due to the intrusion of salt water through tube wells and the rising up of salt water everywhere. Tubewell water is not potable due to salinity. Hazera of Hatia Island, whose family was very poor and became destitute after Cyclone Sitrang hit. Hazera's collapsed house was somehow held up by ropes and trees, and everything inside was a shambles, mud everywhere. Hazera's husband has been sick and crippled for ten years and she has five children who are small, none of them able to earn.
Taking potential victims to shelters during cyclones and distributing relief to post-cyclone victims, is it a solution? Does this solve any problems? Is it not just a temporary cooperation? My message in this project is: Isn't it better if we take proper initiative before the cyclone, take long-term planning with potential victims? Do we wait for the people of coastal areas to lose everything? Or will we move forward with a long-term plan to improve the quality of life of all these people, especially children? The message applies not only to Bangladesh, but to all victims of the world who live in vulnerable coastal areas. Those who are brutal victims of climate change.
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Rabeya is trying to light a fire in the stove to feed relief food her starving family but can t Due to the Impact of climate change as Cyclone Sitrang struck water entered and destroyed her house This photo was taken on 26 October 2022 Khankharabad coastal area of Banshkhali Chittagong Bangladesh
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As Cyclone Sitrang struck due to the impact of climate change Hosne Ara s house collapsed next to the embankment in Hatia Island Somehow his house is standing by tying a rope to a tree pole and could collapse at any moment In the picture Hosne Ara is seen holding her child and sitting in front of her fragile house This photo was taken on 27 October 2022 in the coastal area of Hatiya Island in Noakhali Bangladesh
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Cyclone Sitrang started hitting Akmal Ali Fishery Ghat in Chittagong city in the night About 80 percent of the hundreds of houses in this place were destroyed The houses that survived were in a fragile condition barely surviving These houses are located in an unguarded position directly adjacent to the seashore Hundreds of fishermen and their families lost everything and became destitute This photo was taken on 24 October 2022 Akmal Ali Fishery Ghat in Chittagong Bangladesh
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Cyclone Sitrang started hitting Akmal Ali Fishery Ghat in Chittagong city in the night About 80 percent of the hundreds of houses in this place were destroyed The houses that survived were in a fragile condition barely surviving These houses are located in an unguarded position directly adjacent to the seashore Hundreds of fishermen and their families lost everything and became destitute The picture shows a fisherman s family leaving their house and moving to a shelter This photo was taken on 24 October 2022 Akmal Ali Fishery Ghat in Chittagong Bangladesh
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Portrait of children from Premashia a coastal poor village in the fragile Banshkhali affected by Cyclone Sitrang they are still terrified two days after the cyclone hit Eight-year-old Jannatun Noor is clinging to her two-year-old scared cousin Atiq This photo was taken on 26 October 2022 Premasiya Khankharabad Banshkhali Chittagong Bangladesh
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The day after Cyclone Sitrang hit families of proletarian fishermen were seen sheltering under the open sky with whatever they could salvage from the rubble Last night Cyclone Sitrang started hitting Akmal Ali Fishery Ghat in Chittagong city About 80 percent of the hundreds of houses in this place were destroyed The houses that survived were in a fragile condition barely surviving These houses are located in an unguarded position directly adjacent to the seashore Hundreds of fishermen and their families lost everything and became destitute This photo was taken on 25 October 2022 Akmal Ali Fishery Ghat in Chittagong Bangladesh
The Story of Every Year_07
Overall view of some families those who live in coastal areas they are forced to live at risk because they have no other place to go Although their house apparently survived the storm the conditions inside the house are so bad that it is uninhabitable This photo was taken on 26 October 2022 Premasiya Khankharabad Banshkhali Chittagong Bangladesh
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As a result of Cyclone Sitrang hitting rice sacks have been destroyed but despite that due to lack of food this dirty and spoiled rice is seen to be dried in the sun and stored to eat which is dangerous for health especially for children This photo was taken on 25 October 2022 Akmal Ali Fishery Ghat in Chittagong Bangladesh br br Last night Cyclone Sitrang started hitting Akmal Ali Fishery Ghat in Chittagong city About 80 percent of the hundreds of houses in this place were destroyed The houses that survived were in a fragile condition barely surviving These houses are located in an unguarded position directly adjacent to the seashore Hundreds of fishermen and their families lost everything and became destitute
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Due to the Impact of climate change as Cyclone Sitrang struck thousands of hectares of paddy have been destroyed on Hatiya Island in Noakhali In the picture a child is seen trying to catch fish in the salt water of a paddy field This photo was taken on 27 October 2022 Hatiya Island in Noakhali Bangladesh
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Portrait of Asia Begum and her 03-year-old child Hafeez representing families devastated by Cyclone Sitrong due to the effects of climate change Their house collapsed next to the embankment in Hatia Island Somehow the house is standing by tying a rope to a tree pole and could collapse at any moment This photo was taken on 27 October 2022 Sonadiya coastal area of Hatiya Island in Noakhali Bangladesh
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The picture shows a woman named Hazera searching for fresh water next to a collapsed dam due to Cyclone Sitrang Numerous families live precariously along the dams in coastal areas as they have no land to settle elsewhere Since Cyclone Sitrang hit the coastal areas of Noakhali s Hatiya Island are in dire need of freshwater because saltwater is all around Their house was submerged in water and they are suffering from lack of freshwater due to intrusion of saltwater over tube wells and salt water coming up everywhere Tube well water isn t drinkable due to salinity they walk for miles trying to collect freshwater Hajera s house is covered with cyclone Sitrang and destruction Her family is already very poor and they have suffered more due to the effects of Cyclone Sitrong Her husband has been sick and crippled for ten years she has five children who are small none of them can earn This photo was taken on 27 October 2022 Khiridiya coastal area of Hatiya Island in Noakhali Bangladesh
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Kulsuma s house was just beside the dam in the coastal area of Hatiya Island in Noakhali As an impact of climate change Kulsuma s house was destroyed and swept away by tidal water due to Cyclone Sitrang Having lost all household items including clothes furniture domestic animals paddy and rice in short everything Now she is building a new house in the middle of paddy land about a kilometer away from the dam from her previous house with the help of her husband s loan money She has 5 daughters and one is disabled This photo was taken on 27 October 2022 Sonadiya coastal area of Hatiya Island in Noakhali Bangladesh
