Monsoon flooding: UK announces £30,000 in humanitarian assistance to affected communities in Bangladesh

The current flooding in Bangladesh has so far affected over 14.8 million people in different parts of the country.

This UK contribution in Sylhet will be managed by Start Fund Bangladesh and implemented by Caritas Bangladesh. It will provide cash assistance, clean drinking water, sanitation, and hygiene supplies, and complement the Government of Bangladesh’s ongoing response to the flooding.

The UK is also a significant contributor to the global humanitarian pooled funds, such as the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies’ Disaster Response Emergency Fund (DREF) and the UN’s Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF). Both of these are providing a total of £5.9m (BDT 89.5 crores) to support people affected by flooding in northern Bangladesh with food, clean drinking water, sanitation and hygiene supplies, shelter, health support, and cash assistance.

Sarah Cooke, British High Commissioner to Bangladesh, said:

‘’The UK stands beside all of those affected by the current flooding in Bangladesh. I am pleased to announce the UK is providing humanitarian assistance to support those affected.

This includes £30,000 (BDT 4.5 crores) through START Fund Bangladesh to provide vital supplies to over 5,000 people in Sylhet, as well as contributions to pooled funds that are supporting those in the north of the country. This contribution complements the Government of Bangladesh’s response.’’

Notes to editors:

1. The Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) is a humanitarian fund established by the United Nations General Assembly to enable timely and reliable humanitarian assistance to those affected by natural disasters, armed conflict, and complex emergencies through rapid, effective, and efficient channelling of resources to humanitarian agencies.

2. IFRC’s Disaster Response Emergency Fund (DREF) is a pooled fund which offers rapid financial support to National Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies to help them respond to small and medium-scale disasters or other emergencies that may not receive significant donor or media attention and therefore funding.