EU provides € 2 million in assistance to victims of Tropical Storm Roanu in Bangladesh

The European Commission is providing € 2 million (BDT 174 million) in humanitarian aid funding to deliver relief assistance to populations affected by Tropical Storm Roanu, which caused widespread losses and destruction in large parts of the country last month.“This EU contribution underlines our commitment to the people of Bangladesh who have lost their homes, their belongings and their sources of income in the wake of Tropical Storm Roanu”, said Christos Stylianides, EU Commissioner for Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Management. “It will enable the delivery of life-saving humanitarian aid to the most affected populations, helping them restore their livelihoods at the earliest possible”.The powerful tropical system, which struck southern Bangladesh in mid-May directly affected some 1.3 million others across 18 districts along its path, according to the Bangladesh Department of Disaster Management. Results of a recent coordinated needs assessment indicated that close to 24 000 homes were flattened by the storm, while more than 215 000 people are displaced in seven worst-hit districts of Barguna, Bhola, Chittagong, Cox Bazar, Lakshmipur, Noakhali and Pathukhali. The EU funding allocated for Bangladesh is part of a larger regional humanitarian response to Tropical Storm Roanu which also covers Sri Lanka. This aid, which will be channelled through the European Commission’s Humanitarian Aid and Civil Protection department (ECHO) will enable the Commission’s humanitarian partners to implement emergency assistance programmes to respond to the most pressing needs, which include the provision of shelters, clean water, access to good hygiene practices, non-food relief items as well as food and livelihood assistance. BackgroundTropical Storm Roanu made landfall Bangladesh’s southern coastal division of Chittagong on 21st May. 27 people were killed, while the strong winds, tidal surges and heavy downpours triggered a series of landslides and flash floods, leaving a number of villages and crop fields inundated - particularly those in low-lying areas. The tropical system also uprooted trees, caused embankments to breach and damaged infrastructure in many localities. More than 500 000 people in at-risk zones were evacuated to safer grounds prior to the storm making landfall.Roanu was the first storm to strike Bangladesh this year as the country prepares for the annual monsoon season, which normally begins in June and ends in September. It has left more than 430 000 people in need of humanitarian assistance. ContactPierre Prakash, Regional Information Officer for Asia and the Pacific, European Commission Humanitarian Aid and Civil Protection department (ECHO): +66 89 811 54 81, Pierre.Prakash@echofield.eu