Cyclone Remal batters Ankur programme communities in the Sundarbans

Community Jameel is concerned for Rupantaran Foundation colleagues and the community in the Sundarbans where Cyclone Remal made landfall last night.

With winds of up to 135 km per hour, 100,000 people have been evacuated from the area.

Across the border in Bangladesh, Sheldon Yett, the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) Bangladesh representative, is warning that 3.2 million children are at risk.

Ankur

The Rupantaran Foundation's Ankur programme, which Community Jameel supports, has helped Sundarbans communities in West Bengal to recover from previous inundations and to prepare for future cyclones, including by strengthening dams and building the shelters that are now in use.

Founded in 2009, the Rupantaran Foundation works to enable social justice and equity for disadvantaged communities in the Sundarbans.

In collaboration with Community Jameel, the Ankur programme has helped 42,603 people in 34 villages in the Sundarbans recover their livelihoods following catastrophic devastation caused by cyclones, and manage the rising threat of climate change over a period of two years.

The impact of the Ankur programme includes: 

* 10,000 farmers supported through poultry faming and seed distribution​

* 13 salt-resilient seed varieties distributed to support local farmers in diversifying livelihoods

* Participating families affected by cyclones reported their food security improved by 96%​

* 90% of participants reduced their dependency on chemical fertilisers and pesticides​

* 400 women's collectives formed to share knowledge on farming practices​​

* 40 peer leaders trained​