EU releases over $2M in aid as floods ravage parts of Bangladesh, India

By SM Najmus Sakib

DHAKA, Bangladesh (AA) - The European Commission has released €2 million ($2.11 million) for emergency relief assistance to those affected by the current floods in Bangladesh and India.

The support will benefit the affected and displaced people in the worst-hit regions of the two neighboring countries and be channeled through the EU’s humanitarian aid partners on the ground.

The monsoon floods in Bangladesh have already claimed 84 lives. Over 4.5 million people have been stranded in the northeastern Sylhet region.

According to the latest update from the Flood Forecasting and Warning Centre (FFWC), with the exception of the mighty Ganges and the Padma rivers, the water level in the floodplain will decrease in the next 24 hours in Bangladesh.

According to the forecast, the Teesta River may swell as there are possibilities of the medium to heavy rainfall in Jalpaiguri in the Indian state of West Bengal and Sikkim.

The floods that affected one-third of Bangladesh mostly happened due to heavy rains and an onrush of upstream water from India. The floods also triggered waterborne diseases and a serious crisis of food and potable water across the country.

“The severe monsoon and flooding in Bangladesh and India have left behind a trail of destruction. With many people having lost their family members, homes, belongings and sources of livelihoods, the humanitarian situation is grave and expected to worsen in the upcoming days,” European Commissioner for Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Management Janez Lenarcic said in a statement on Friday.

For Bangladesh, the EU has released €1.2 million ($1.27 million) in humanitarian aid for people affected by the flooding in the northeast and northern regions of the country, the release added.

The floods this year are considered worse than those experienced in 1998 and 2004.

For India, the EU provided €800,000 ($844,896) in emergency assistance with a focus to support people in the most affected areas of the Assam state, it read.

Meanwhile, the death toll from floods in India's northeastern state of Assam reached 117 since April this year, with over 3.3 million people across 3,510 villages affected in the last 24 hours, according to official data.

Earlier, the US announced $244,680 as emergency funding in response to catastrophic flooding across areas of northern Bangladesh. And, the UK released emergency funding of £442,548 ($542,763).