Floods, Water-logging in Satkhira
1.5 lakh to get DFID, WFP aid for a month
A woman standing in front of a submerged tube-well at Raritara village in Tala upazila of Satkhira district during flooding in August last year. Star file photo
At least 1.5 lakh people affected by the recent flood and water logging in Satkhira district will get cash grant to cover food needs. Each household will get Tk 1,500 for a month. The UK's Department for International Development (DFID) and the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) will provide the much-needed support for the victims, says a WFP press release. The distribution of the grant, $679,000, will start next week and continue for 10 days in addition to the WFP's ongoing nutrition support there to children under five and pregnant and breastfeeding women. Floods in the middle of last year and water logging affected livelihoods of nearly 4 lakh people in Satkhira. “The persistent challenges faced in these vulnerable regions requires a sustained effort from all actors to help these communities build their resilience, and facilitate their recovery following the disaster,” said DFID Country Represen-tative Gwen Hines. Following heavy rainfall and flooding in Satkhira in July and August last year, WFP and the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation conducted a joint food security assessment of the affected areas. The December assessment highlighted that 30 to 60 percent of croplands in the most affected unions in Satkhira remains underwater, and that the prolonged high water levels continue to affect food production and work opportunities over the long term. Christa Rader, WFP representative in Bangladesh, said water logging in Satkhira has put the livelihoods of thousands of people at risk, and women and children remain particularly vulnerable to under-nutrition. “This contribution from DFID will enable WFP to continue assistance to those worst affected people. Such dedicated support from our partners enables WFP to help families recover from disasters and rebuild their lives,” she said.
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