Jeddah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, 19 June, 2016 – IsDB representative Dr. Mohammad Hassan Salem handed over 34 Schools-cum-Cyclone Shelters as part of the third phase of the Fael Khair Program in Bangladesh. The program is funded by a grant from the Late King Abdullah Bin Abdul Aziz.

A total of 95 out of 174 planned School-cum-Cyclone Shelters have been handed over so far. Each building will serve as a modern educational institution for 240 students and will also provide shelter to 2,000 people and 500 cattle during the country’s frequent cyclones.

The late King Abdullah’s grant of USD 130 million for relief and assistance to the victims of cyclone Sidr is utilized as follows:
• USD 110 million to construct 174 School-cum-Cyclone Shelters in the coastal belt of Bangladesh
• USD 20 million Waqf as partial support to maintain the buildings and to provide urgent relief and rehabilitation through agricultural and other inputs to the affected population

The buildings are designed to withstand top wind speeds of up to 260 km per hour. The ‘green’ facilities are equipped with solar power and durable school furniture. They also have and potable water systems, including rain water harvesting, to supply safe drinking water, a crucial commodity in this saline belt, especially during calamities.

The handover was part of a series of special ceremonies that took place in several locations in Southern Bangladesh. The ceremonies were attended by high ranking local government officials, including representatives of primary and secondary education, the local government engineering department, school administrators and community leaders.