Cyclone SIDR smashed into the country's southern coastline late on Thursday night with 250 kph (155 mph) winds that whipped up a five-meter tidal surge. It was the strongest cyclone since a 1991 storm that killed some 143,000 people in Bangladesh.

"Our relief teams have started emergency distribution, with an initial coverage of 100,000 people," charity World Vision's Bangladesh national director Vince Edwards said in a statement. "However, several areas are inaccessible right now due to fallen trees,."

In many areas, 95 percent of rice crops due to be harvested in a few weeks have been badly damaged, officials said, with hundreds of shrimp farms also washed away.

"Many people are homeless, crops and livelihoods have been destroyed and this is going to put great pressure on the government, the economy, and the people themselves," said Suman SMA Islam, CARE's humanitarian assistance coordinator in Bangladesh.©Reuters 2007