EU grants 5m euros as flood aid
The European Commission (EC) has allocated 5 million euros in response to the urgent humanitarian needs of Bangladeshis recently affected by severe monsoon floods.
This emergency funding will provide food assistance, nutritional care, clean drinking water, shelter, sanitation facilities and access to healthcare services to those who have lost their homes and livelihoods, said a press release of the European Union yesterday.
Kristalina Georgieva, the European Commissioner for International Cooperation, Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Response, said “The humanitarian situation is dire in Bangladesh. Hundreds of thousands of people are uprooted from their homes by the latest deluge.
“They are now living in appalling conditions in makeshift shelters or under the open sky. Europe's solidarity is called for, so the commission will help fund the immediate needs of the most vulnerable among the affected. As usual, our relief activities also include disaster risk reduction--an indispensable priority in such a disaster-prone country.”
The commission will continue to monitor the evolution of the humanitarian emergency through its team in Bangladesh, while keeping in close contact with the partner relief organisations through which the funding will reach the beneficiaries.
A recent field assessment carried out by the EC confirmed the substantial destruction inflicted on houses and essential sources of livelihood. There has been significant loss of crops, livestock and fish ponds, on which millions of Bangladeshis rely for their sustenance and income.
The floods have affected around one million Bangladeshis so far, according to official estimates. Over 200,000 people have fled their homes, forced to seek refuge elsewhere. Most of the flooded areas are expected to remain waterlogged for several months, which will have significant and protracted impact on the people living along the river basins.
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