Bhubaneswar, India, May 3, 2019 / 13:10 pm
A category four cyclone struck India's Odisha state Friday morning, but humanitarian groups and government forces are better prepared than in previous years.
Cyclone Fani made landfall in Puri, about 40 miles south of Bhubaneswar, May 3. According to Al Jazeera, three deaths connected to the storm have been reported on so far.
In a May 2 statement, Catholic Relief Services explained that preparations were being made to ensure the safety of residents in Odisha and in Bangladesh, whither Cylcone Fani is heading. CRS had distributed supplies to Cox's Bazaar refugee camp in Bangladesh, where almost 1 million Rohingya refugees reside.
"Our teams on the ground are making last-minute preparations so we can respond as soon as the storm moves on," said Caroline Brennan, communications director for CRS' humanitarian response team.