UN AIDS BANGLADESH IN AFTERMATH OF MASSIVE FLOODING

 

NEW YORK, 23 September (UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs) –- United Nations humanitarian agencies continue to bring aid to Bangladesh as heavy rains continue in the aftermath of the August’s massive flooding, the worst that country suffered in decades.

Recent floods cut off many transport routes and utilities, inundated buildings and caused further disruptions to livelihoods, aggravating impacts of the catastrophic monsoon floods earlier this year.  In rural areas of the southern regions, there has been considerable damage to fish farms, seedbeds and vegetable cultivation, as well as to valuable rice paddies planted after recession of the recent monsoon floods.  Although the heavy rains have relented, severe floods are now occurring in the south-west.  For example, the rain-swollen Gumti and Kakri rivers burst through already weakened protective embankments and flooded 100 villages in Comilla District.  Officials say 600,000 people have been affected, thousands had to take refuge on embankments and in schools, and 10,000 hectares of crops and 700 metric tons of fish stock have been lost.

The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) has organized a post-flood assessment of needs in 27 flood-affected districts.  Seventy-five staff from 16 organizations including the United Nations, donors and national and international non-governmental organizations participated in the assessment.  The study, which will be published this week, provides information on the principal recovery and rehabilitation needs of monsoon flood affected areas, which will aid the implementation of ongoing activities.

The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the WFP are coordinating efforts to combat the dangers of serious malnutrition in the post-flood period.  The UNICEF will provide children and pregnant and lactating women in the most vulnerable households with fortified food and supplements to counter anaemia.  It will also support a nationwide campaign to provide Vitamin A capsules and de-worming tablets for children.

In complementary efforts, the WFP aims to provide vulnerable families with food items, to improve nutrition and food security.  Extra rations of fortified blended food will be provided to infants and young children as well as pregnant and breastfeeding women.  The agency will also distribute 750 grams of high-energy biscuits daily over the next 10 months among 80,000 primary school children in the worst flood-affected districts.  A total of 903,800 households (4,519,000 people) will receive 30 kilograms of grain (rice/wheat) each per month.

To date, only $62.5 million of the $210 million sought through the flash appeal for Bangladesh has been received.

For further information, please call:  Stephanie Bunker, OCHA New York, tel.:  1 917 367 5126, mobile:  1 917 892 1679; Elizabeth Byrs, OCHA Geneva, tel.:  41 22 917 2653, mobile:  41 0 79 473 4570.

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