EU supports early action in Bangladesh in anticipation of severe floods

The European Union (EU) is providing EUR 100,000 (some 9.6 million Bangladeshi Taka) for early anticipatory action to reduce the negative impact on the most affected communities.

In response to severe flooding that submerged many parts of Bangladesh in late June EU will support the flood-affected people.

The aid will benefit over 3,300 families in some of the hardest-hit areas in Kurigram, Gaibandha and Jamalpur districts.

The EU funding supports the Bangladesh Red Crescent Society in using reliable scientific forecast information and risk analysis to foresee the potential impact of the floods and to conduct early actions aimed at reducing human suffering, losses and damage. The aid includes evacuating the most vulnerable communities to safe shelters with their assets and livestock, providing unconditional cash grants, as well as providing first aid treatment.

The funding provided is part of the EU's overall contribution to the Forecast-based Action (FbA) by the Disaster Relief Emergency Fund (DREF) of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC).

Heavy monsoon rainfall triggered extensive floods in northern and eastern areas of Bangladesh, causing extensive damage to homes and farmlands across the delta nation's vast northern regions. Thousands of people have found themselves marooned or displaced. The flooding could affect up to a million households over the first days of July.

The European Union together with its Member States is the world's leading donor of humanitarian aid. Relief assistance is an expression of European solidarity towards people in need around the world. It aims to save lives, prevent and alleviate human suffering, and safeguard the integrity and human dignity of populations affected by natural disasters and man-made crises.

Through its European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations (ECHO), the European Union helps over 120 million victims of conflicts and disasters every year. From its headquarters in Brussels and a global network of field offices, the European Union provides assistance to the most vulnerable people on the basis of humanitarian needs.

The European Commission has signed a €3 million humanitarian contribution agreement with the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) to support the Federation's Disaster Relief Emergency Fund (DREF) and the fund's forecast-based Action (FbA). The FbA is a funding mechanism that enables access to humanitarian funding for early action, that can be taken based on meteorological forecast information, combined with risk analysis, to prepare for extreme weather events. Its goal is to anticipate disasters and reduce human suffering and losses.