Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) has joined hands with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) to assist the government of Bangladesh to fight COVID-19.
UNDP Resident Representative Sudipto Mukerjee as part of the initiative handed over 5000 Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for the cleaning workers of four city corporations – Dhaka South, Norrth, Chattogram and Narayanaganj - on Wednesday to Minister for the LGRD Md Tazul Islam.
With support from the Australian government, UNDP says, it will also provide technological support to the government for expanding social support through a2i programme.
In addition, 20,000 poor people will receive cash or in-kind support delivered through UNDP’s existing projects in Chittagong Hill Tracts, North Bengal and Coastal region.
Australia has been working with UNDP since 2011 to support the government of Bangladesh develop and implement its national social security strategy.
The strategy aims to build an inclusive social security system to help address poverty and inequality, High Commissioner to Bangladesh Jeremy Bruer said in a statement.
“This work is even more important as we work together with Bangladesh to respond to COVID-19,” he said on the new initiative.
Sudipto Mukerjee said the UNDP’s development partnership with Australia is “long-standing and even during this crisis we appreciate their critical and timely support as social protection has become a vital response measure to help many low income communities weather the impacts of the pandemic.”
“Under the renewed partnership we will have the opportunity to help the Government to reach out to many households whose livelihoods and incomes have been disrupted making them the ‘new poor’, and bring them within social safety nets,” he said.
