Start Fund Bangladesh allocates funds for waterlogged South

The Start Fund Bangladesh (SFB) has allocated around Tk 5.7 crore to communities affected by waterlogging in Satkhira and Khulna, a press release said.

The fund is being awarded to non-government organisations Uttaran and Caritas, supported by Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) of the UK.

Both districts have been exposed to prolonged impacts of climatic disaster that started with cyclone Amphan n May, leading to excessive waterlogging in key upazilas around September.

A lack of available data or official reports on this matter has posed further hardships on the local communities, where an estimated 8,000 have been displaced. This second phase of funding follows the previous response, where Satkhira-based Uttaran led a consortium with other organisations like Nabalok and Muslim Aid.

This project is expected to contribute during the upcoming cyclone season in April-May 2021, helping repair over 15kms of road/embankment, heavily damaged during Amphan and then by waterlogging and tidal surges.

Affected communities hope these infrastructures, if repaired, will protect them from regular tidal inundations. It will also enable safe communication for over 50,000 people and their access to markets and cyclone shelters.