Prioritising humanitarian aid, BRAC has extended its support to the distressed people in flood-affected areas by providing as much relief and financial assistance as possible. As part of its emergency relief services, BRAC has already distributed dry food, drinking water and cooked meals to 29,810 families and 4,000 individuals in the affected regions of Feni, Cumilla, Chattogram, Moulvibazar, Noakhali, Khagrachari, Rangamati, Brahmanbaria, and Lakshmipur. In the first phase, BRAC plans to distribute dry food to a total of 50,000 families.
Seven medical teams have been formed to provide healthcare services to the people in the five most severely affected districts. These teams consist of 21 paramedics led by seven medical officers, all of whom will be delivering healthcare to those affected by the floods. Additionally, at the onset of the floods, BRAC announced emergency relief assistance of BDT 30 million from its own funds to support those affected by the flood.
Each dry food packet contains of flattened rice, sugar, biscuits, drinking water, oral saline and water purification tablets. Cooked meals (such as khichuri) have also been provided. Furthermore, 13,230 packets of sanitary pads have been distributed to support women's health and hygiene. BRAC is also using three community radios, Radio Pollikontho in Moulvibazar, Radio Naf in Cox’s Bazar and Radio Sagorgiri in Chattogram, to broadcast information and share essential guidance on what to do during the flood.
BRAC's district coordinators are working closely with local disaster management committees to address the challenges posed by this disaster. BRAC staff are assisting in moving those affected by the flood to safe shelters and ensuring that necessary relief reaches them. Special attention is being given to children, pregnant women, mothers of newborn babies, people with disabilities and the elderly. Moreover, BRAC staff are working tirelessly on the ground in the affected districts to assess the damage and provide emergency assistance.
It is to be noted that last Saturday (24th August 2024), representatives from NGOs and community organisations met with the Honourable Chief Adviser of the interim government, Dr. Muhammad Yunus. During the meeting, the Chief Adviser urged all the NGOs to work in a coordinated manner to address the severe flood situation in 11 districts in the north-eastern and south-eastern regions of the country. BRAC is working towards this goal.
