Bangladesh Red Crescent Society gets Tk 90.6 lakh from EU to combat flood impacts

In response to severe flooding that submerged parts of Bangladesh in late June, the European Union is providing EUR 100,000 (Tk 90.6 lakh) to Bangladesh Red Crescent Society for early anticipatory action in order to reduce impacts on the most affected communities.

The aid will benefit over 3,300 families in some of the hardest hit areas in Kurigram, Gaibandha and Jamalpur district, said a statement of the Asia and the Pacific, European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations today.

The EU funding supports the Bangladesh Red Crescent Society in using reliable scientific forecast information and risk analysis to foresee the potential impact of the floods and to conduct early actions aimed at reducing human suffering, losses and damage.

"The aid includes evacuating the most vulnerable communities to safe shelters with their assets and livestock, providing unconditional cash grants, as well as providing first aid treatment," the statement said.

The funding provided is part of the EU's overall contribution to the Forecast-based Action (FbA) by the Disaster Relief Emergency Fund (DREF) of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies.

Heavy monsoon rainfall triggered extensive floods in northern and eastern areas of Bangladesh, causing extensive damage to homes and farmlands across the delta nation's vast northern regions.

Thousands of people have found themselves stranded or displaced. The flooding could affect up to a million households during the initial days of July, the statement adds.