EU to provide €1 million for Bangladesh flood victims

Responding to severe flooding in Bangladesh, the European Union (EU) will provide one million euros to address the urgent humanitarian needs.

Over two million people in Bangladesh now need food assistance, water, sanitation, hygiene and emergency shelter. Around 850,000 remain displaced and the number is likely to rise as rains continue.

With the onset of the annual monsoon in June, heavy and sustained rains have caused massive floods and landslides across South Asia, killing hundreds and affecting over 17.5 million people. 

The flooding has wiped out homes, affected livelihoods such as livestock and agricultural lands, and destroyed vital infrastructure including roads, hospitals and schools across countries in the region.

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Also, poor access to clean water is increasing the risk of spreading diseases amid the Covid-19 pandemic.

So, the EU will provide 1.65 million euros in humanitarian aid to support the flood victims of Bangladesh, India and Nepal. 

The support comes on top of the 1.8 million euros announced earlier this year to support families affected by a series of disasters, including Cyclone Amphan that ravaged India and Bangladesh, bringing the total EU support to victims of disasters in the region to 3.45 million euros, it said.

The EU will use an extra 500,000 euros for India to provide food and livelihood assistance, emergency relief supplies, and water and sanitation services to people. 

The flood situation in the country has affected over 10.9 million people and has doubled people's vulnerabilities as they are struggling to fight the consequences of Covid-19.

The EU said it will spend 150,000 euros in Nepal to address the need for water and sanitation, shelter and essential household items as thousands have been displaced because of flooding and landslides.

"The monsoon rains across South Asia have been particularly devastating this year and this urgent contribution will help our humanitarian partners on the ground in providing crucial support to those who have lost their shelters, belongings and sources of livelihood," said Taheeni Thammannagoda, who oversees EU humanitarian programmes in Asia and the Pacific.

"Focusing on the worst affected countries, we are providing the means for people to survive through this difficult time so that they can get back on their feet as soon as possible."

The funding is part of the EU's Acute Large Emergency Response Tool (ALERT). 

ALERT is used to respond to large natural disasters where over 100,000 people or over 50 percent of the population are affected, said the EU on Tuesday.

The aim is to allocate funds within 24 to 48 hours of the onset of the emergency, depending on the type of disaster, it added.