§ Lord Swinfenasked Her Majesty's Government:
What steps they are taking to assist the people of Bangladesh affected by the recent severe flooding. [HL3297]
§ Baroness AmosThe flooding in Bangladesh has been described as the worst in living memory. The Prime Minister has expressed our concern and sympathy to the Bangladesh Prime Minister, Sheikh Hasina, and has pledged an additional £21 million aid for Bangladesh to help with flood relief and rehabilitation.
The Department for International Development (DHD) has a team based in the British High Commission in Dhaka. Officials are working closely with the Government of Bangladesh, with the UN Donor Co-ordination Committee, and with Non Governmental Organisation co-ordination bodies to identify needs and priorities and to respond to these.
Before the formal appeal from the Government of Bangladesh, DfID made grants of over £400,000, working through NGOs to provide food relief, shelter, drinking water and medicines. Our new pledge will enable us to work with government and NGOs and make a significant contribution to food needs, to continuing relief operations, and to the rehabilitation of agriculture and essential infrastructure when the waters eventually recede.