The European Union (EU) has allocated €140 000 Euro (Tk 13.17 million) to provide crucial humanitarian assistance to families affected by the recent cyclone Bulbul.
The aid will directly benefit 17,500 people in some of the hardest-hit areas in the districts of Barguna, Bhola, Pirojpur, Bagerhat, Khulna and Satkhira, said the EU Embassy in Dhaka on Wednesday.
This EU funding supports the Bangladesh Red Crescent Society (BDRCS) in delivering much-needed assistance through the distribution of dry food items and shelter materials, such as tarpaulins and blankets, to those who have lost their homes and belongings, reports UNB.
Cash grants are also being provided to enable the most vulnerable families to meet their basic needs and sustain their day-to-day livelihoods following the loss of income sources.
The 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).
Over 720,000 people were affected by the cyclone Bulbul that struck many parts of southern Bangladesh in early November.
After making landfall near Sagar Island in the southern part of India’s West Bengal, packing winds of upto 120 kilometres per hour, the storm weakened as it made its way to Bangladesh.
An estimated 110,000 houses sustained damage, while nearly 118,000 hectares of croplands and numerous fish enclosures -- the main source of livelihoods for many -- were ravaged, according to government data.
The districts of Khulna and Satkhira are the worst-hit areas where 75 per cent of the affected populations have been reported.
The European Union together with its Member States is the world's leading donor of humanitarian aid.
