The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies or IFRC has released more than $850,000 to support Bangladesh Red Crescent Society relief activities for flood victims.

More than 9.6 million people have been affected by monsoon floods in South Asia, including the large areas of India, Bangladesh and Nepal which deepened the humanitarian crisis, IFRC said in a statement on Jul 22.

“Millions of people across Bangladesh, India and Nepal have been marooned, their homes damaged and crops destroyed by floods that are the worst in recent years,” said Jagan Chapagain, secretary-general of IFRC.

“Every year there are monsoon floods, but this year is different as it comes at the height of a deadly COVID-19 global pandemic. Tragically, already 550 people have lost their lives.”

Almost one-third of Bangladesh has been flooded already with forecasts of worse flooding in the coming days. More than 2.8 million people have been affected, including over 1 million who remain isolated and surrounded by floodwaters, according to the Bangladesh Ministry of Disaster Management and Relief.

In India, more than 6.8 million people have been affected by severe floods, mainly in the northern states of Assam, West Bengal, Bihar and Meghalaya bordering Bangladesh, according to the Indian National Emergency Response Centre.

Across India, Bangladesh and Nepal, 550 have died according to government figures while millions have been displaced.

“People in Bangladesh, India and Nepal are sandwiched in a triple disaster of flooding, the coronavirus and an associated socioeconomic crisis of loss of livelihoods and jobs. Flooding of farmlands and destruction of crops can push millions of people, already badly impacted by the COVID-19, further into poverty,” said Chapagain.

Volunteers in India, Bangladesh and Nepal are helping with shelter, providing tarpaulins, dry food and hygiene kits, and installing pumps for safe water. In Bangladesh, Red Crescent teams have distributed cash grants to help more than 35,000 people cope with the flooding. In India, over 9,200 tarpaulins have been distributed to most at-risk families. In Nepal, Red Cross teams are airlifting relief supplies to communities that cannot be reached by road.

Many communities in Bangladesh and India are still recovering after Cyclone Amphan damaged or destroyed more than 260,000 homes, crops and infrastructure, two months ago.

https://bdnews24.com/bangladesh/2020/07/22/ifrc-releases-850000-in-funds-for-bangladesh-red-crescent-relief-work