Sweden pledges support for flood-affected communities in eastern Bangladesh
Staff Reporter
Publish: 26 Sep 2024, 02:48 PM
The cash grant will assist her in rebuilding her shelter and livelihood, and she is a happy right holder receiving cash provided by Islamic Relief with support from SIDA; Courtesy: Swedish Embassy
Sweden has announced its commitment to assist the 5.8 million individuals impacted by recent floods in eastern Bangladesh, providing vital humanitarian aid totaling USD 1.85 million (Tk 22.2 crore) through several organizations, including the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC), Islamic Relief, Danish Refugee Council (DRC), and Action Against Hunger (AAH).
This humanitarian support will focus on delivering cash assistance to affected families, helping nearly 95,000 individuals secure essential needs such as food, shelter, and livelihood opportunities, while also enabling 5,800 children to return to school.
The NRC, in collaboration with local organizations Uttaran, Young Power in Social Action (YPSA), and Resource Integration Centre (RIC), plans to distribute cash grants to 3,015 households, shelter kits to 1,500 households, and cash-for-work opportunities to help reopen 29 schools in the districts of Feni, Cumilla, and Noakhali.
Islamic Relief will provide cash grants and hygiene kits to 6,500 households in Feni and Noakhali, while the DRC will offer cash grants to 750 households and agricultural inputs to 1,200 households, along with opportunities for community infrastructure repairs, including drinking water points and roads in Noakhali and Cox’s Bazar.
Action Against Hunger will deliver cash grants to 1,000 households and targeted support for 120 pregnant women, essential health services for 1,000 children, and nutrition vouchers for 180 children. Additionally, the organization will provide menstrual hygiene kits to 640 women and mental health support for 2,000 individuals in Feni and Noakhali.
Sweden’s flexible funding has also enabled the World Food Programme (WFP) to launch an emergency response within days of the floods, providing critical food aid to over 130,000 people across Cumilla, Feni, Noakhali, Maulvibazar, Lakshmipur, and Cox’s Bazar.
As one of the largest humanitarian donors worldwide and the leading contributor to the UN's Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF), Sweden has recently allocated an additional USD 4 million to assist with the eastern floods. With this latest contribution, Sweden's total humanitarian support for Bangladesh in 2024 reaches USD 12.2 million (Tk 146 crore).
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