Flood victims will get assistance for three months, says PM Hasina

The government's aid scheme for flood victims will continue for three months after the water recedes, says Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.

Gaibandha Correspondentbdnews24.com
Published : 26 August 2017, 08:17 AM
Updated : 26 August 2017, 11:19 AM

The second spell of floods this year has affected nearly 7.5 million people, according to figures by the National Disaster Response Coordination Centre or NDRCC.

A total of 132 people have died across the country in the last two weeks.

"Government will provide all forms of supports for the victims for three months. As many as 10 million people will get rice at Tk 10 a kg," Hasina said on Saturday during her visit to the flood-hit northern district of Gaibandha.

According to official statistics, crops on 10,583 hectares of land have been totally washed away while another 600,587 hectares of farmlands have been damaged.

The prime minister assured victims of assistances such as interest and collateral free loans, seeds, fertilizer and pesticides for farmers.

She called on NGOs running microcredit schemes in flood-affected areas, not to pressure clients for paying instalments.

"We have made arrangements for healthcare services and medicine for the victims and to rebuild damaged infrastructures, like roads, bridges and schools."

"We have begun to import grains as farms have been hit," Hasina said after distributing aid to victims in Gaibandaha's Gobindaganj Upazila.

More than 800 people have been killed and 24 million affected across South Asia, which the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies or IFRC says is becoming one of the worst regional humanitarian crises in years.

It said there were growing concerns about food shortages and disease.

Officials in Bangladesh said on Wednesday that the floods have affected 32 out of the 64 administrative districts.

Floods have destroyed communities and crops in the northern, northeastern, central, southwestern and southeastern parts of the country as well as the hill tract region.