TDS Desk:

The UK government is providing an additional £450,000, equivalent to Tk7 crore, of vital humanitarian assistance to support more than 36,000 people affected by flooding in eastern Bangladesh, whenas over five million have already been impacted.

The latest UK assistance builds on the £33,000 (Tk5.2 lakh) of initial emergency funding released on 26 August. It brings the UK government’s total support for disaster preparedness and response measures across Bangladesh this year to worth over £1,500,000 (Tk23.4 crore), which in turn sits on top of the UK government’s ongoing support initiatives to help increase Bangladesh’s resiliency to climate change.

The £450,000 assistance will support people in seven of the worst flood-affected districts: Feni, Cumilla, Noakhali, Lakshmipur, Moulvibazar, Khagrachhari and Chattogram. Some areas are facing their most severe flooding in 40 years.

One component of this new UK support will be managed by Start Fund Bangladesh and implemented by NGOs. This will support over 36,000 people with food, cash transfers, clean water, sanitation and hygiene supplies.

A second component will be managed by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), and provide emergency maternal, newborn and reproductive health services to 4,500 women and adolescent girls. This includes helping to establish and run 30 mobile medical camps, which will provide essential medicines and healthcare.

Sarah Cooke, British high commissioner to Bangladesh, said, “The UK government stands beside all of those affected by the current flooding in eastern Bangladesh. I am pleased to announce the UK government is providing further humanitarian assistance to support those impacted.

“This includes £450,000 of new funding released Thursday to provide vital supplies and services to over 36,000 people. This is in addition to the UK government’s responses to Cyclone Remal and flooding earlier this year in Bangladesh, and our broader support to increase Bangladesh’s resilience to climate change.”

“This contribution complements the active and ongoing response of the interim government of Bangladesh, civil society and local communities,” Sarah added.