UN disaster team deployed to flood-stricken Bangladesh

The United Nations has deployed a disaster team to Bangladesh to help the country respond to devastating floods that have affected more than 30 million people, including many who have lost their homes and are in urgent need of provisions.

The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said a UN Disaster Assessment and Coordination team will support the Bangladeshi Government and the UN Disaster Management Team, which has also agreed to launch a flash appeal for funds to ease the situation.

While flood waters are slowly receding in the country’s north, they are continuing to rise in the capital Dhaka and in the central region. Close to 2.5 million homes have been partially or fully damaged, and nearly 6 million affected families require immediate relief aid.

The Government has welcomed assistance from an emergency operation by the World Food Programme (WFP). OCHA said dry foodstuffs are most needed, as well as high-protein biscuits for children. Dehydration is also rampant, and diarrhoea and other water-borne diseases are spreading. In response, the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has given the Government a further 3 million water purification tablets and 2 million packets of oral rehydration salts.

OCHA said Bangladesh’s army, police and local security forces have been deployed in some districts to help with distribution and ensure safety. Governments and aid agencies from around the world are allocating badly needed funds, but the ability for governmental and non-governmental groups to deliver aid has been hampered by deteriorating roads.