Bangladesh in the second half of 2007 had to withstand natural disasters in the form of two rounds of severe floods and then the devastating cyclone that left over a million people displaced and destitute and the natural resources, infrastructure, livelihood and as a whole the economy in tatters. The inflation rate in January 2008 has reached an all time high 10%. The disasters brought additional burden to an already difficult economic situation. The financial loss sustained from the floods is an estimated US$ 1 billion, and from the cyclone another US$2.3 billion. 

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The community response has been outstanding in the first month since Cyclone Sidr struck Bangladesh. Local community coping mechanisms, the Humanitarian community at large and the efforts of the Bangladesh Government have for now, averted a major public health crisis and the ensuing loss of life that so often follows such disasters.

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 As of 29 November, the GoB official reports indicated that more than 8,5 million people of 1,9 million families were affected by the cyclone SIDR with a death toll of 3268 people, with a further 872 missing and 34,708 injured.

The current public health situation as of 5 December:

• In the affected areas of Bangladesh current trends of diarrhoea and ARI/pneumonia cases are low, but it is anticipated that water borne disease as well as ARI/pneumonia cases may increase due to lack of safe drinking water, poor sanitation and inadequate shelter and shortage of warm clothes especially for children.

• Overall high prevalence of typhoid/fever and skin diseases in comparison with diarrhoea and ARI/pneumonia cases in the nine worst-affected districts. The highest number of diarrhoea cases, ARI/pneumonia cases and typhoid cases (without laboratory confirmation) are reported from Bagerhat district. Highest number of eye and skin infections cases are reported in Pirojpur and Barguna districts.