Bangladesh will need at least a year to recover from the devastating floods that have caused massive damage to its land, people and economy, with tens of millions of people facing grave food shortages, waterborne diseases, a badly mangled infrastructure and extremely poor prospects for the next rice crop, according to the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).
– We are still working out exact numbers in each sector, but it is already clear that the country will need a lot of support to get back on its feet,” UNDP acting Resident Representative Douglas Casson Coutts told a UN-sponsored a donor conference in the Bangladeshi capital, Dhaka, Wednesday.
The UN is preparing a comprehensive plan to assist the South Asian nation in overcoming the impact of the floods, which have killed 592 people and affected some 30 million others – nearly a quarter of the population. The appeal will be presented to donors next week.
As the floodwaters recede, the full extent of the wreckage – and the consequent challenges of rebuilding houses, roads, schools and public services – is emerging.
Mr. Coutts stressed that with more than 60 per cent of the national work force dependent on agriculture to survive, rural people will need substantial assistance just to get back to where they were before the monsoon season arrived.
He noted that floods in April destroyed much of the national rice crop. A second set of floods in mid-July then wiped out peoples household food stocks and removed other sources of nutrition and income such as livestock rearing and agricultural day labour.
– We are seeking not only to help the country get back on its feet, but also to assist the Government in developing the environmental and social protective measures the nation needs to withstand the monsoon seasons to come,” he said, reminding the donor conference that the UN takes the longer view for Bangladesh.
UN agencies have already started mobilizing help for the country. Earlier this week the UN Childrens Fund (UNICEF) appealed for 13,4 million US dollar in emergency aid and the World Food Programme (WFP) has distributed 24 tons of high-energy biscuits and 3.000 tons of rice.
Kilde: FNs nyhedstjeneste
