Thousands of children 'at risk of disease' in wake of Bangladesh cyclone

Hundreds of thousands of Bangladeshi children are at risk from disease and malnutrition in the wake of Cyclone Sidr, according to a leading health agency.

The United Nation's Children's Fund, UNICEF, has warned that half of the five million people affected by last week's extreme weather are children and many face illness and death unless humanitarian aid reaches them in time.

As well as the risks posed by cold weather in the region, the organisation also highlighted the lack of a clean water supply in many areas, as well as the destruction of most household sanitation facilities.

Dr Iyorlumun Uhaa, chief of health and nutrition for UNICEF Bangladesh, said: "The cyclone has predisposed thousands of children and women to the increased risk of illness and death due to malnutrition"

"The cold weather and vulnerability to cold, hunger, trauma, diarrhoea and other communicable diseases will increase many times over unless urgent life-saving assistance is provided to children and women immediately," he added.

As of last Thursday (November 22nd), the Bangladeshi government reported that nearly 3,000 people had been killed by the cyclone, with a further 1,724 missing.

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