Tornadoes wreak havoc, particularly in the rural areas, where people do not live in houses resistant to such onslaughts. In Haluaghat and Netrokona on Wednesday, villages after villages were razed to the ground. People living under open skies need to have roofs overhead. It is imperative that arrangements are made quickly to help the affected people recover from the trauma. The injured, whose number is quite high, must get medical aid. The authorities concerned should immediately probe the news that some hospitals are asking the relatives of the wounded to buy medicines for them. Shouldn't they have been stocked with all the necessary just to meet such an emergency? Are they not asking for too much from a pauperized victim who has virtually lost everything?

The logistic support for rebuilding the wreaked houses must reach the victims very quickly along with food and other essential commodities. It is absolutely necessary to help economic activities pick up in the affected areas as soon as possible.

The VIPs have expressed their sympathies for the victims and the survivors, and many of them have rushed to the villages which now wear a completely deserted look. They are trying to share the woes of the people and cheer them up. Obviously, this kind of moral support can give the victims the courage to fight back. But the hype revolving around the visits appears to be a distraction from the crucially important task of facing the humanitarian crisis.

The PM has promised all-out efforts to help the victims. The Leader of the Opposition's suggestion that the rehabilitation scheme be geared up merits attention. However, it has to be seen that the relief operations are carried out according to a plan, and that they reach out to the needy without being subverted by middlemen. It must not be forgotten that even the rescue operations are not over, since many people are still reported missing.