Friday, September 1, 2017

UK aid support to victims of devastating floods in South Asia

The International Development secretary today announced that the Department for International Development (DfID) is allocating further support to the flood response in Nepal, including by providing clean water, sanitation and hygiene services, as well as support immediate food security needs and health support.
Monsoon flooding and landslides have affected an estimated 8 million and 1.7 million people in Bangladesh and Nepal, respectively.
DfID is allocating £400,000 to the Nepal Red Cross Society in partnership with the British Red Cross and International Federation of the Red Cross for monsoon flood response. Some 75 per cent of the support is earmarked for water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH), livelihood recovery, and health.
The support will provide safe water supply to over 13,000 people, ensure over 3,000 of those most severely affected receive immediate food and financial support and reach over 2,000 women and girl’s with health supplies.
According to the International Development secretary Priti Patel the devastating flooding in South Asia is truly heart-breaking. "Entire communities have lost their homes, their livelihoods and their loved ones," she asaid, adding that the UK has stepped up to support the region, the pre-positioned relief supplies ensured thousands of people received immediate support and we continue to provide assistance to vulnerable people, who have lost everything. "Today’s announcement will provide clean water and prevent the spread of deadly and crippling diseases, as we continue to work to meet the immediate needs of people on the ground."
The announcement is the latest support the UK has provided to Bangladesh and Nepal. It includes the Humanitarian Staging Area at the capital’s airport in Kathmandu that was built with funding from UK aid and provides one of the main relief coordination centres for the government. UK preparedness support, through Oxfam, is providing immediate relief supplies to 30,000 people for emergency shelter and WASH. DFID is also supporting overall coordination.
The UK will continue to monitor the situation in both countries, and work with their governments to support immediate needs and to help people and communities affected to recover once flooding has receded, it added. "Flooding has also affected India, where the UK continues to monitor the situation, and our thoughts are with those that have been affected."

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