Islamic Relief has been working in consortium with Start Network members Save the Children and Concern Worldwide, to implement a rapid response to floods which hit Bangladesh in early June. An alert was raised and funds were allocated as part of Start Fund Bangladesh – a national crisis response fund which operates through a decentralised model of the Start Fund. You can find more information on the alert on our website or browse through other Bangladesh alerts using our interactive mapping tool.
This news item was first published on islamic-relief.org.uk on the 27th June 2018.
Islamic Relief is helping survivors of the devastating floods in Sylhet, Moulvibazar and Cox’s Bazar. The Country Director for Islamic Relief Bangladesh (IRB), Akmal Shareef, says,
“We have already deployed three members of staff on the ground and another four staff members will be joining this week to help those affected by these devastating floods.”
The heavy rainfall caused widespread damage across the Sylhet, Moulvibazar and Cox’s Bazar regions of Bangladesh. The floods affected at least 250,000 people in Moulvibazar and over 400,000 people in Sylhet district. Four refugees from Myanmar were killed in Cox’s Bazaar.
The deluge was described by many locals as the worst they’d seen in 40 years. Floodwaters inundated roads and central areas of the towns, caused damage to shops and swept away livestock on which many people depend to support themselves and their families.
Thousands of people in the affected areas face acute shortages of food and clean drinking water whilst schools, colleges, croplands and fish farms became submerged under water. The downpours also caused a severe shortage of medicine.
Country Director for Bangladesh, Akmal Shareef, says:
“Islamic Relief Bangladesh has had a longstanding presence in some of the affected areas, such as Kanaighat Upazila. Because of our experience in helping in these circumstances, we have suppliers who are ready to help as well as a well-equipped emergency response team in Sylhet region. This means we can respond quickly.
“We have been allocated significant funding from the Start Network Fund and have already identified those in most need. We will allocate unconditional cash grants to those affected so that they can buy essential, desperately needed supplies. Cash grants are good because this enables people to replace what has been destroyed, gives them the flexibility to buy what they need most and, critically, also helps the local economy to recover.”
As a consortium member of the Start Network, IRB works collaboratively with large agencies and international Non-Governmental Organisations to enable them to reach and help more people.
For more information about the vital, lifesaving work that Islamic Relief Bangladesh does, please visit their website islamicrelief.org.bd.