DHAKA Aug 9, 2020 – United States Ambassador to Bangladesh Earl Miller has visited flood-hit Madhya Khatiamari village in Gaibandha district to observe US assistance, including cash grants and emergency hygiene kits, to the villagers affected by the flooding.
“The United States is proud to work with the government of Bangladesh to help provide humanitarian assistance to those affected by the flooding,” Miller said during the visit on Saturday, said the US embassy here.
During the visit, the ambassador spoke with families receiving emergency assistance provided through the US Agency for International Development (USAID).
The US envoy was joined by local administration officials from Gaibandha district and Fulchari upazila, and representatives from CARE Bangladesh and SKS Foundation who are administering this emergency assistance program.
“This assistance is another example of the enduring ties between the United States and Bangladesh and our wonderful partnership with CARE and the SKS Foundation,” Miller said.
During a stop at a relief distribution site, the ambassador, local officials, and NGO representatives visited a homestead raised on an earthen plinth, a platform built after the 2019 floods as part of USAID’s SHOUHARDO III program.
Under the initiatives, over 1,500 homesteads including homes, livestock pens, and household gardens were raised above flood levels on such plinths last year and currently, these homeowners’ properties were protected from the flooding, and the homeowners were able to take in neighboring families whose homes were flooded.
The US government, through USAID, has provided more than $7 billion in development assistance to Bangladesh since 1971.
Additionally, to date, the US government has contributed over $56.5 million from multiple agencies to support COVID-19 response efforts.
In 2019, USAID alone provided over $200 million to improve the lives of people in Bangladesh through programs that expand food security and economic opportunity, improve health and education, promote democratic institutions and practices, protect the environment, and increase resilience to climate change.