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South Asia floods – how the UK is helping
10 August 2007 (Updated 30 August)
Over recent weeks, monsoons and a cyclone in South Asia have led to extensive floods affecting millions of people and resulting in more than 1,500 lives being lost. As the waters continue to rise in some areas, and more people are put in danger, DFID continues to offer emergency relief.
Bangladesh: Emergency support
In Bangladesh, DFID has reached around
1 million people in the most
severely affected places through £1.9 million of aid. Of this money, £1
million is helping to provide food, medicines and shelter to people living in
the Chars river islands, which have been worst hit by the floods.
As well as
feeding some 0.6 million people, the
Chars
Livelihood Programme (CLP) has also helped rescue 3,849 stranded people and
3,375 cattle, and has constructed raised platforms to protect against further
flooding. Anwara Khatun from the Char Boalbari of the river Jamuna says: "This
little bit of shelter in the midst of water everywhere has allowed us to remain
safe and secure. Otherwise we would have ended up on the main land without even
a roof over our heads!"
DFID is also providing £0.9 million to support the
United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)
in its efforts to provide
urgent medical support and safe drinking water to people in the flooded
areas. Over 400,000 water purifying tablets and 2,000 portable water filters have
already been supplied to Bangladesh's Government.
The UK is also giving around £0.25 million towards the International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh (ICDDR,B). This will allow the treatment of 1,000 patients a day with saline and antibiotics, and provide food and electricity for the temporary wards. The recent flood has seen a rapid escalation of the number of patients suffering from diarrhoea, a potentially fatal disease. Of the money given towards the Centre, £0.2 million is additional funding from DFID, while the remainder is being allocated by the UNDP out of DFID's previous flood relief provision.
Securing India and Nepal
Flooding
in India has caused hundreds of
deaths, and destruction to homes, agriculture and transport networks. DFID's India
office is monitoring the developing situation closely. DFID has
invested a total of £2.1 million to improve India's ability to withstand
disasters, which has included support to to the UNDP Disaster Risk
Management Programme, a
World
Bank flood information management system and
UNICEF’s
emergency efforts in Bihar and Uttar Pradesh.
In Nepal, DFID is in close contact with the
Government and
aid agencies to address the recent floods. The DFID-funded Community Support Programme has provided
food and relief to around 1,200 families. Other projects that DFID
funds, including
Rural
Reconstruction Nepal and
CARE,
have also been providing food and relief items to affected families.
DFID Minister Shahid Malik has spoken of the UK's commitment to helping those in South Asia who have been affected:
“The UK has a strong relationship with the whole region, providing more than £500 million in aid every year. With the threat of further rains and the risk of disease more people could be affected. The UK stands ready to help those in need.”
Pakistan: Immediate relief
In Pakistan, DFID responded to floods caused by
June's storms and cyclone with £2.2
million of assistance. With more than 2.5 million people affected, an
estimated 377,000 made homeless, and hundreds of lives lost, DFID has supported the Pakistani Government and
the
International Federation of the Red Cross
(IFRC) to provide clean drinking
water and shelter, improve sanitation and hygiene, and deal with potential
increases in disease. DFID has also given funding to other aid agencies,
including the UN and Islamic Relief, and provided specialist advice to
coordinate humanitarian efforts.
Afghanistan has also been affected by recent flash floods, with homes, crops and roads destroyed and at least 63 people killed. Although no international assistance has been requested by the Government, relief is being provided by the UN and IFRC and non-governmental organisations (NGOs).
DFID: Helping in times of disaster
DFID plays a vital role in South Asia, not just in terms of aid, but providing specialist advice and support on how countries can cope with the impact of natural disasters. Following the tsunami of 2004 and the earthquake in 2005, DFID provided more than £400 million in emergency support and for longer term reconstruction. Follow this link to find out how you can help when disasters and emergencies strike in the developing world.
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