In response to severe flooding in Bangladesh, the European Union is providing €1 million in humanitarian aid to address the urgent needs of food assistance, water, sanitation, hygiene and emergency shelter.
This is part of its €1.65 million aid for the Bangladesh, India and Nepal. India will get €500,000 and Nepal will get the rest €150,000.
The support in South Asia comes on top of the €1.8 million announced earlier this year to support families affected by a series of disasters, including Cyclone Amphan that ravaged India and Bangladesh in May, bringing the total EU support to victims of disasters in the region to €3.45 million.
The flooding has affected some 17.5 million people, wiping out homes, livelihoods such as livestock and agricultural lands, and destroying vital infrastructure including roads, hospitals and schools.
“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 programs 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). Measures to prevent the spread of the coronavirus will be incorporated in all programming.
The European Union, along with its Member States, is the world’s leading donor of humanitarian aid.
Through its European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations (ECHO), the European Union helps over 120 million victims of conflicts and disasters every year.
The ALERT is used to respond to large natural disasters where over 100,000 people or over 50 percent of the population are affected.
Depending on the type of disaster, the aim is to allocate funds within 24 to 48 hours of the onset of the emergency.