VZCZCXRO2062
OO RUEHCI
DE RUEHKA #1885/01 3371254
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 031254Z DEC 07
FM AMEMBASSY DHAKA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 5710
INFO RUEHKT/AMEMBASSY KATHMANDU 9405
RUEHCI/AMCONSUL KOLKATA 1043
RUEHNE/AMEMBASSY NEW DELHI 0334
RUEHGO/AMEMBASSY RANGOON 2619
RUEHLM/AMEMBASSY COLOMBO 8199
RUEHBK/AMEMBASSY BANGKOK 8294
RUEHIL/AMEMBASSY ISLAMABAD 1928
RUEHRO/AMEMBASSY ROME 0420
RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA 0601
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 0051
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHINGTON DC
RUEKDIA/JOINT STAFF WASHINGTON DC
RHHMUNA/USCINCPAC HONOLULU HI
RHHMUNA/CDR USPACOM HONOLULU HI
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC
RUEKDIA/DIA WASHINGTON DC
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHINGTON DC
RUEATRS/DEPT OF TREASURY WASHINGTON DC

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 04 DHAKA 001885 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR SES-O 
DEPT FOR SCA/PB, SCA/EX 
DCHA/OFDA FOR ROBERT THAYER 
AID/W FOR AA MARK WARD AND ANE ANNE DIX 
DCHA/FFP FOR MATTHEW NIMS AND PAUL NOVICK 
ROME FOR FODAG 
BANGKOK FOR RDM/A TOM DOLAN, ROB BARTON 
KATHMANDU FOR USAID OFDA BILL BERGER AND SUE MCINTYRE 
TREASURY FOR ELIZABETH WEISS AND SUSAN CHUN 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: EAID PREL ASEC CASC AMGT SOCI ECON PINR EAGR SENV
BG 
 
SUBJECT:  USAID/OFDA Cyclone Sidr Situation Report #9:  Shelter and 
Livelihoods:  Thoughts from the Field 
 
 
¶1. The USAID'S Disaster Assistance Response Team's (USAID/DART) 
shelter and livelihoods advisor recently completed a three-day 
assessment in the cyclone-affected districts of Bagerhat and 
Pirojpur.  These two districts, along with Borguna and Paktuakhali, 
are among the districts hardest hit by Cyclone Sidr.  The assessment 
focused on the status of current relief activities, the evolving 
shelter and livelihoods needs of cyclone-affected populations, the 
coordination of relief actors on the ground, and the ground-truthing 
of reports that there are still large areas yet to receive relief 
assistance. 
 
¶2. Nearly three weeks following the landfall of Sidr, interviewed 
families still identify shelter, cash, livelihoods support and food 
as their most urgent needs.  These identified needs are consistent 
with findings from previous DART assessments. 
 
¶3. The USAID/DART's shelter and livelihoods advisor found that, 
within the assessed areas, there were pockets of severe damage 
caused by high winds and falling trees.  The tidal surge that 
affected the southern parts of Barguna and Paktuakhali districts did 
not significantly affect Bagerhat and Pirojpur.  The geographic 
location of these districts allowed the Sundarbans, a massive 
mangrove swamp, to absorb the brunt of Sidr's strength.  Damage to 
these areas, while significant, would have been much greater had not 
the Sundarbans effectively buffeted Sidr's high winds and tidal 
surge. 
 
¶4. Current relief interventions are undertaken by a variety of 
actors.  There are significant numbers of grassroots organizations 
and local non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in Bangladesh that 
are integrally involved in the delivery of relief commodities. 
These commodities include household items, clothes, and food.  These 
ad-hoc activities often go unnoticed as they take place informally 
and oftentimes outside the reach of national level coordination 
efforts.  These activities are small when considered in isolation. 
However, when they are viewed in aggregate, they provide extensive 
coverage of the cyclone-affected area. 
 
¶5. While the U.N. cluster system is attempting to coordinate relief 
activities at the national level, the Government of Bangladesh (GOB) 
military is coordinating relief activities at the local upazilla 
level. Local government officials report that this coordination is 
proving effective.  The coordination of these informal, ad-hoc 
relief activities significantly reduces the potential for un-served 
areas existing within the cyclone-affected area.  Some NGOs reported 
that there are still large geographic areas yet to receive relief 
assistance.  The USAID/DART Livelihoods and Water, Sanitation, and 
Hygiene Advisors visited all of these reportedly un-served areas. 
In all cases, relief assistance was being provided.  Effective 
coordination at the local level is one of the primary reasons why. 
 
 
----------------------- 
PRIORITY NEEDS: SHELTER 
----------------------- 
 
¶6. Cyclone-affected families overwhelmingly identify shelter as one 
of their most urgent needs.  World Vision estimates that more than 
200,000 shelters have been damaged or destroyed within Bagerhat and 
Pirojpur districts.  Emergency shelter interventions by World Vision 
and other organizations are focused on the distribution of timbers, 
 
DHAKA 00001885  002 OF 004 
 
 
CI sheeting, and tools.  This shelter kit is thought to provide the 
basic inputs a family needs in order to meet their acute emergency 
shelter need. 
 
¶7. Field assessments indicate that, in many places, families have 
salvaged materials from their previous houses and are preparing for 
rebuilding.  Families have constructed makeshift shelters from 
salvaged materials and are residing on their plots of land in these 
temporary structures until their houses are rebuilt. 
 
¶8. In interviews with affected populations, many respondents have 
stated that they cannot rebuild their houses because they do not 
possess the technical know-how.  Housing construction throughout the 
cyclone-affected area is widely undertaken by skilled laborers that 
are hired by the home owners.  The hiring of skilled labor for the 
construction of a modest house is estimated to be 14,000 taka 
($200).  Many cyclone-affected families do not have the necessary 
cash to pay the skilled labor to build their houses.  Without access 
to additional income, shelter reconstruction activities could stymie 
thereby prolonging the recovery period. 
 
------------------- 
PRIORITY NEEDS: CASH 
-------------------- 
 
¶9. Livelihoods throughout the cyclone-affected area have been 
interrupted.  Farmers, fishermen, and small traders have been hit 
especially hard.  This interruption to livelihoods has severely 
reduced people's access to cash.  Cash is incredibly important to 
people's overall recovery efforts.  Without it, shelter 
reconstruction efforts are limited (see above note), access to food 
is curtailed thereby increasing food insecurity, needed drugs and 
medicines cannot be procured, and livelihoods assets (boats, nets, 
fisheries, seeds, tools) cannot be repaired or restored. 
 
¶10. The GOB estimates that nearly 382,000 livestock animals were 
lost.  For many people in the affected region, livestock serves as 
the place where wealth is stored.  The loss of livestock is 
particularly devastating for poor families.  Cows not only serve as 
wealth storage but also contribute to income generation through the 
selling of milk.  The USAID/OFDA Shelter and Livelihoods Advisor 
spent time in cattle bazaars in the affected region.  Prior to the 
Cyclone Sidr, the average price for a cow was an estimated 10,000 
taka.  Following the cyclone, the price has fallen to 6,000 taka. 
The reduction in price is due primarily to families liquidating 
household assets in effort to obtain cash to rebuild their houses. 
 
 
¶11. The GOB has developed a compensation plan whereby a family with 
a damaged house is to receive 3000 taka, a family with a destroyed 
house is to receive 5000 taka, and a family who had a member die is 
to receive 10,000 taka.  This approach was thought to provide a much 
needed cash-infusion into the affected areas.  Pirojpur District has 
already distributed 64.5 million taka ($950,000) as part of this 
compensation plan.  However, interviews with particularly vulnerable 
families in the affected region reveal that they have yet to receive 
any compensation from the GOB.  It is unclear whether the GOB 
compensation plan will target the most needy families or will be 
used as a political tool by local politicians to support their 
political parties.  More time is needed to gauge the effectiveness 
of this program. 
 
DHAKA 00001885  003 OF 004 
 
 
 
¶12. The need for cash throughout the affected region is pronounced. 
Given that markets in the area are still functioning and 
well-integrated with the rest of the country signifies that a 
large-scale cash infusion is viable.  The World Bank is planning an 
assessment of the affected region in the coming weeks which will 
inform the design of its longer-term recovery program.  The Bank is 
considering implementing a large-scale cash distribution to the most 
needy families.  This program will provide a much needed cash 
complement to the relief assistance package that has been given to 
date. 
 
------------------------------------------ 
PRIORITY NEED: LIVELIHOODS, INCLUDING FOOD 
------------------------------------------ 
 
¶13. Interviews with affected populations reveal that farming, 
fishing, and small trading were livelihoods that have been severely 
disrupted by the cyclone.  The loss of productive assets (boats, 
nets, seed inputs, related equipment) prevents livelihoods from 
resuming in the near future without external assistance.  Immediate 
assistance should focus on the restoration of these productive 
assets either through direct distribution (of seeds and tools) or 
through programs aimed to increase purchasing power thereby enabling 
people to procure or repair assets (such as boats and nets) 
themselves. 
 
¶14. The extent of crop damage throughout the affected region is yet 
to be determined.  The U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) 
is planning a crop assessment in the coming days that will determine 
the amount of crop loss and provide a clearer picture of overall 
crop loss.  Currently, crop loss estimates range from 30 to 85 
percent. 
 
¶15. In order to support farmers, the very timely distribution of 
agricultural inputs (seeds, tools, and fertilizer) may be needed. 
The need for this intervention will be determined by actual crop 
loss.  If crop losses are low, interruption to farming livelihoods 
may not be severe and the need for the distribution of agricultural 
inputs may be eliminated. 
 
--------------- 
RECOMMENDATIONS 
--------------- 
 
¶16. While emergency shelter assistance is needed throughout the 
cyclone-affected region, the USAID/DART Shelter and Livelihoods 
Advisor recommends that the bulk of USAID's Office of U.S. Foreign 
Disaster Assistance (USAID/OFDA) shelter assistance should focus on 
supporting early recovery transitional shelter activities.  The 
U.N.-sponsored shelter cluster is currently working on a design for 
a transitional shelter which can help standardize shelter assistance 
across the affected region.  The USAID/DART shelter and livelihoods 
advisor is integrally involved in supporting the development and 
timely distribution of this shelter design.  It is expected to be 
distributed within the next six days. 
 
¶17. The USAID/DART shelter and livelihoods advisor recommends that 
USAID/OFDA-funded shelter programs focus on meeting both the 
emergency need for shelter and the early recovery need for 
transitional housing.  Emergency shelter activities should include 
 
DHAKA 00001885  004 OF 004 
 
 
the distribution of shelter kits (CI sheeting, timber, tools) and 
focus on providing shelter prior to the onset of the Bangladesh 
winter (late December).  Transitional shelter activities (training, 
public outreach in build back better messages, and distribution of 
more robust housing inputs) should focus on providing early recovery 
assistance prior to the onset of the rainy season (June). 
 
¶18. With regard to cash, the USAID/DART shelter and livelihoods 
advisor recommends that early recovery activities focus on creating 
income generating opportunities.  Cash-for-work (CFW) activities 
targeting road rehabilitation, removal of debris from public places, 
pond clearing, and the rehabilitation of flood protection walls are 
all viable activities.  In general CFW activities should focus on 
the rehabilitation of public property goods and not on private 
property items such as paying people to plant crops or to build 
their homes.  A second recommendation is to work in close 
coordination with the World Bank to determine the type of long-term 
assistance program it is planning.  If the Bank plans large-scale 
cash distributions, USAID/OFDA may need to rethink CFW activities as 
cash distribution tends to undermine CFW if carried out within the 
same geographic area. 
 
¶19. Where cyclone-affected livelihoods have been interrupted, 
USAID/OFDA recommends focusing early recovery assistance on the 
restoration of productive assets.  This will include seeds and tools 
distribution (or seed fairs) for farmers.  Livelihoods support 
should also include activities aimed to increase purchasing power. 
Through creating income generating activities, people will be able 
to replace or repair damaged livelihoods assets (such as boats, 
nets, tools, and rickshaws) themselves. 
 
 
PASI