UN to aid 14,000 Aila-hit families
United Nation's (UN) bodies--WFP, UNDP and Unicef--have extended support to 14,000 families, affected by cyclone Aila, still living on embankments in Bangladesh.
Drawing assistance from the UK's Department for International Development (DFID), the UN agencies will work to distribute food, assist with shelter and implement basic water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) and nutrition interventions, said a press release.
The initiative is aimed at reducing vulnerability of people during monsoon season and helps them improve their temporary dwellings to complement the government's on-going response efforts to cyclone Aila affected families. The regions are Dacope and Koyra upazilas and Shyamnagar and Ashashuni upazilas, under Khulna and Satkhira districts respectively.
The joint UN response to cyclone Aila has a proposed budget of US $4.6 million, approximately Tk 32.2 crore.
WFP will assist 14,000 households with a monthly family food ration consisting of 30kg rice, 5kg of pulses and 3kg of vegetable oil. Households with pregnant and lactating women and children (under 2 years of age) will be provided with an additional allocation of micronutrient fortified blended food to guarantee an adequate diet during this critical period of development.
A total of about 3,000 metric tonnes of food is planned for distribution for a period of five months.
While UNDP will distribute shelter packages to those 14,000 families, which includes plastic sheets, ropes, nails, hammers, knives, umbrellas and bamboo. This shelter package is now being distributed in partnership with Bangladesh Scouts.
Unicef will support those 14,000 vulnerable displaced households with basic water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) and nutrition interventions.
It will equip families with knowledge, skills and hygiene kits to enhance community capacity for proper operation and maintenance of the facilities.
Under the nutrition intervention, Unicef will distribute multiple micronutrient supplements (iron/folate) targeting 10,000 children aged 6 to 23 months and 10,000 pregnant and lactating women to reduce acute malnutrition.
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