UNITED NATIONS HELPS ALLEVIATE BANGLADESH’S WORSENING FLOOD SITUATION

UNITED NATIONS HELPS ALLEVIATE BANGLADESH’S WORSENING FLOOD SITUATION

NEW YORK, 27 July (OCHA) -- A new Operations Coordination Room has been set up to consolidate all assessments of the situation on the ground in Bangladesh, where the flood situation is deteriorating.  The Room falls under the Disaster and Emergency Response area of Bangladesh’s Local Consultative Group, which includes such bodies as the United Nations and the World Bank.

Thus far, more than 23 million people have been affected by the devastating floods, and at least 275 have died, a number which may increase.  Over 12 million houses and more than 2 million acres of crops have been damaged or destroyed, forcing around 913,241 people to move into shelters.  The situation is still worsening in the capital, Dhaka, where water from several river basins is continuing to flow in.

For its part, the Government of Bangladesh, via its Ministry of Food and Disaster Management, has expedited some of its project registration procedures in order to facilitate aid workers’ action in the field.

Other agencies addressing the crisis include the World Health Organization (WHO), which is providing essential drugs and medical supplies; the World Food Programme (WFP), which, with its partners, has been distributing high energy biscuits, rice and polypropylene bags; and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), which has pledged a further $100,000 to address the nutrition-, sanitation-, health- and water-related needs of the flood-affected populations.  The UNICEF has also donated water purification tablets, temporary sanitary facilities and food for young children.

For further information, please call:  Stephanie Bunker, OCHA New York, tel: 917 367 5126, mobile: 917 892 1679; Elena Ponomareva-Piquier, UN Geneva, tel: 022 9172336

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