Sweden Allocates Addt’l $1.85 M for Flood-Hit Communities in Bangladesh

Sweden has committed USD 1.85 million (Tk 22.2 crore) in critical humanitarian aid through the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC), Islamic Relief, Danish Refugee Council (DRC), and Action Against Hunger (AAH) to support flood-affected communities in eastern Bangladesh.

This assistance will provide cash grants to help around 95,000 individuals meet essential needs, including food, shelter, and livelihood opportunities, as per a press release. Additionally, 5,800 children will be given the opportunity to return to school.

The Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC), in partnership with Uttaran, Young Power in Social Action (YPSA), and Resource Integration Centre (RIC), will distribute cash grants to 3,015 households, shelter kits to 1,500 families, and facilitate the reopening of 29 schools in Feni, Cumilla, and Noakhali through cash-for-work programs.

Islamic Relief will support 6,500 households in Feni and Noakhali districts by providing cash grants and hygiene kits.

The Danish Refugee Council (DRC), working with Uttaran, will offer cash grants to 750 households and agricultural inputs to 1,200 households. They will also organize cash-for-work initiatives to repair and clean infrastructure, including drinking water points, irrigation channels, fishponds, agricultural roads, and individual shelters in Noakhali and Cox’s Bazar.

Action Against Hunger (AAH), in collaboration with Uttaran and Shushilan, will deliver cash grants to 1,000 households and financial support to 120 pregnant women. They will also provide health services to 1,000 children, nutrition vouchers for 180 children, and distribute menstrual hygiene kits to 640 women. Additionally, AAH will rehabilitate 250 water points and 280 latrines, while offering mental health and psychosocial support to 2,000 people in Feni and Noakhali districts.

Sweden’s flexible funding has also enabled the World Food Programme (WFP) to respond swiftly to the floods, delivering vital food aid to over 130,000 people across Cumilla, Feni, Noakhali, Maulvibazar, Lakshmipur, and Cox’s Bazar.

As a major global humanitarian donor, Sweden is the leading contributor to the UN's Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF), which recently allocated USD 4 million to address the impact of the floods in eastern Bangladesh.

With this latest funding, Sweden’s total humanitarian aid to Bangladesh for 2024 has reached USD 12.2 million (Tk 146 crore).