Dhaka: The United Nations and its partners have launched a humanitarian appeal for $134 million to provide urgent relief and support to communities affected by ongoing and escalating cyclones and monsoonal floods in Bangladesh, media reports said.
The situation is dire and requires immediate attention, the UN said on Sunday while launching the appeal, the Dhaka Tribune reported.
Bangladesh has been severely impacted by four climate-related disasters since May, including Cyclone Remal, flash floods in Haor, riverine floods in Jamuna, and unprecedented floods in eastern regions.
The UN reports that devastating events have affected 18.4 million people in 45% of Bangladesh, causing significant damage to livelihoods and infrastructure.
According to media reports, the government has developed a multi-hazard humanitarian response plan, resulting from a consultative process, to address the most urgent needs by March 2025.
A humanitarian appeal was first launched in June for Cyclone Remal, and this is the third version of the plan, extended to cover all four emergencies.
The humanitarian response plan aims to reach 2.5 million people across 28 districts of Bangladesh. So far, it has reached 1.8 million people with assistance despite receiving only 28% of the funding, the report said.
The revised plan serves as a vital tool for government, UN, and non-governmental partners to coordinate response and raise additional funding.
According to reports, the plan was initiated by the Humanitarian Coordination Task Team co-chairs, UN resident coordinator in Bangladesh, Gwyn Lewis, and Ministry of Disaster Management and Relief secretary, Md Kamrul Hasan.
“This is an unprecedented humanitarian crisis in Bangladesh, with multiple disasters unfolding consecutively over several months,” said Lewis.
“The government and humanitarian community are working tirelessly to provide relief and support to affected communities. We urge our development partners to contribute funds directly to participating organisations involved in the humanitarian response plan and to continue to invest in disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation to build long-term resilience.”
The revised humanitarian response plan addresses urgent needs of the affected population, including child protection, education, displacement management, food and nutrition services, primary healthcare, and water supply and latrine reconstruction, the report said.
The policy prioritises the protection of vulnerable groups like women, children, transgender individuals, people with disabilities, and older adults.
Bangladesh expects its second cyclone season in October, the reports said.
As communities potentially face more extreme weather before the end of the year, current needs must be addressed to mitigate vulnerabilities, the UN said.
