Just happened to be up in the night here and got this urgent prayer concern from Bangladesh and India through a good friend. A huge cyclone is on its way to the eastern coastal area of these two nations and should be making landfall about now. One Christian leader describes a similar but weaker cyclone that hit the coast in 1970: "In one hour 500,000 people and two million cattle were killed by a storm surge fifty feet high that raced inland fifty miles. In those days there was no early warning system, and there were no roads. In the next six months another 500,000 died from pestilence and disease. Cyclone Bhola was the worst meteorological disaster in recorded history."
Now a cyclone twice as strong is speeding towards the same area where millions live in its direct course and some Christian mission leaders there report:
“Cyclone Amphan overnight strengthened and became a Super Cyclone, the "strongest storm ever recorded over the Bay of Bengal". It is heading like an arrow straight for the border of India and Bangladesh. Please pray.
Millions will be affected. And most all in the path of this dangerous storm are already under attack from the novel coronavirus. For those along the coastline, the only hope of survival is to crowd into the new storm shelters built fifty feet above sea level. But, social distancing there is impossible.
… At that time 400,000 Rohingya refugees had fled over the border to Bangladesh, fleeing persecution.
Sadly, this tragic genocide is ongoing, and now more than 1,000,000 stateless Rohingya are crowded in desperate conditions along the south-east border of Burma/Myanmar and Bangladesh.
Pray especially for the Rohingya to weather the coming storm...And, coronavirus continues to spread rapidly. We really must ask God to calm this storm before it comes ashore. Please do pray now! “
Here is a news clipping about this situation as well:
Let's do pray for this storm to weaken and not to bring the feared and horrific destruction and loss of life that was experienced before. Pray for people in the path of the cyclone to get to higher ground and safety in time. Pray for effective relief and rescue efforts where needed. May these dear people and their children be protected from both the storm and the coronavirus that they fear so deeply and through these crises turn to Jesus Christ and come to know Him.
Thanks for joining us in prayer.
John Robb / Dr Jason Hubbard
International Prayer Council