ZCZC
BSS-20
EU-AID-RIVER-EROSION
EU provides Tk 7.84m for riverbank collapse victims in Shariatpur
DHAKA, Oct 15, 2018 (BSS)- In response to the collapse of the Padma River
embankment in the central Bangladeshi district of Shariatpur, the European
Union (EU) is providing Taka 7.84 million (EURO 80,000) in humanitarian aid
funding to address the needs of the most vulnerable families.
The assistance will directly benefit a total of 15 000 people, said an EU
media release.
This EU funding supports the Bangladesh Red Crescent Society (BDRCS) in
delivering much-needed assistance to those who have lost their homes through
the distribution of tarpaulins and shelter tool kits.
In addition, multipurpose cash grants are also being provided to targeted
households to ensure those most in need have enough means to meet their basic
needs and sustain their day-to-day livelihoods. This funding is part of the
EU’s overall contribution to the Disaster Relief Emergency Fund (DREF) of the
International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC).
An increase in water levels in the Padma River — the largest river system
in Bangladesh that has been severely affected by erosion since early
September — during the first three weeks of September led to the sudden
collapse of many vulnerable portions of its embankment.
More than 8,000 houses and public facilities located within a five-
kilometer radius from the river have been washed away, resulting in the
displacement of more than 43,000 people in the Naria and Zajira upazilas,
alongside a 1.5-kilometer stretch of main roads and infrastructures.
It is estimated that over 8,000 will become permanently displaced. The
event has also caused significant damage to crops, seeds and agricultural
lands, impacting the overall food security of the affected populations.
Food shortages have also been reported.
BSS/PR/TAN/SSS/1647 hrs