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EU to provide aide to flood victims in SE Asia

KT NEWS SERVICE. Dated: 8/12/2020 11:21:26 AM

NEW DELHI, Aug 11: The European Union (EU) said on Tuesday it will provide humanitarian aid funding worth 1.65 million euros to Bangladesh, India and Nepal to cope with the impact of severe floods in South Asia.
Of the total funding, 500,000 euros will be used in India to provide food and livelihood assistance, emergency relief supplies, and water and sanitation services to people affected by floods. The EU said this year’s monsoon rains had impacted 10.9 million people in India, and amplified their vulnerabilities amid the coronavirus pandemic.
The humanitarian aid worth 1.65 million euros is on top of the 1.8 million euros announced earlier this year to support families affected by a series of disasters, including cyclone Amphan, which ravaged India and Bangladesh in May.
The latest floods have affected some 17.5 million people in South Asia, destroying homes and wiping out livestock and agricultural lands, and damaging vital infrastructure, EU said. One million euros will be dedicated to addressing urgent humanitarian needs in Bangladesh, where more than two million people are in need of food assistance, water, sanitation, hygiene and emergency shelter. Some 850,000 people have been displaced and the figure is expected to increase as rains continue.
In Nepal, 150,000 euros will be used to address the need for water, sanitation, shelter and essential household items following the displacement of thousands of people after heavy rains triggered landslides across the country.
“The monsoon rains across South Asia have been particularly devastating this year and this urgent contribution will help our humanitarian partners on the ground in providing crucial support to those who have lost their shelters, belongings and sources of livelihood,” said Tahini Thammanna Gowda, who oversees EU humanitarian programmes in Asia and the Pacific.
The funding is part of the EU's Acute Large Emergency Response Tool (ALERT). Measures to prevent the spread of the Coronavirus will be incorporated in all the programmes. With the onset of the annual monsoon in June, heavy and sustained rains have caused massive floods and landslides across South Asia, killing hundreds and affecting more than 17.5 million people. Poor access to clean water has increased the risk of the spread of diseases, which is especially worrying amid the Covid-19 crisis, EU said.