Cyclone victims 'still homeless'

In pictures: Cyclone preparation

One month after the devastating Cyclone Aila hit Bangladesh, many people have not still been able to return home.

Nearly 300 people were killed by the cyclone and there was a massive amount of damage caused to embankments, roads and houses.

The government has launched a big relief effort for the four million people affected by the cyclone.

But some 125,000 affected people are still living in the open, as large areas remain flooded with sea water.

The head of aid agency Oxfam in Bangladesh, Heather Blackwell, told the AFP news agency that the homes of 75,000 families were damaged or under water.

She said many of the families were living in "camp-like settlements", and others living in schools and cyclone shelters.

'Poor sanitation'

"Around 75,000 families are displaced, with around five people on average in each family," Ms Blackwell said.

"About 25,000 families are living in long lines along the embankments. Very few can return to their homes. I think it's very unlikely that we will see much movement of people before the end of the monsoon season."

Fariha Sarawat of Save the Children UK, who has just returned from the coast, said vast areas had been inundated with saline water.

"Water, sanitation and hygiene facilities are very poor, there are no toilets or latrines or bathrooms, they are surrounded by water on all sides so their movement is also very limited," she said.

"Immediate needs are of course food and clean drinking water, but there are no sustainable sources because of course everything is under saline water."

Aid workers say it will take months to repair the embankments.

Bangladesh's coastal areas seem destined to disappear in the coming decades as sea levels rise, says the BBC's Mark Dummett in Dhaka.

Storms such as Cyclone Aila are expected to become more frequent, so many people have already decided to move inland.