12 November 2004
In July and September, Bangladesh experienced its worst floods in six years. At least two million homes were damaged and more than a million hectares of crops destroyed. Tragically, 760 people lost their lives.
For Bangladesh's northern districts, the next two months will be critical as food supplies run out ahead of the rice harvest in December and January.
On 12 November, Australia announced a further $1 million in aid to help the people of Bangladesh, bringing our total contribution in the wake of the floods to $25.8 million. Australian aid will support 'food for work' programs as part of ongoing emergency operations set up by the World Food Programme (WFP).
The WFP will distribute food to high risk groups including pregnant women, nursing mothers and more than one million children at risk of malnutrition. Working through the WFP, Australia is the largest single donor of food aid to Bangladesh.
The Australian Government, through AusAID, responded quickly to help flood affected Bangladesh. In August Australia announced that it would bring forward its annual 45,000 tonne shipment of Australian wheat worth $18 million. Australia also provided an additional 22,000 tonnes of wheat, valued at over $6 million.
Australian food aid is being directed to the most vulnerable communities that have lost crops, food gardens and household food stocks as a result of the floods.
Australia has also provided $500,000 to the United Nations Children's Fund for water purification tablets and to help with the re-establishment of primary schools.
A further $100,000 has been provided for the purchase of emergency provisions including family kits, clean drinking water and basic food and medical supplies.
Many primary schools are being used as temporary shelters by people made homeless by the floods. In some districts up to 80 per cent of primary schools have been affected by floodwaters.
Although the floodwaters are receding, the situation in Bangladesh remains critical, with a damage bill estimated at more than $7 billion.
The Australian Government is committed to helping the world's most vulnerable people including those affected by disaster and conflict. In 2004-05, Australia increased its overall aid budget by almost 10 per cent in real terms to an estimated $2.133 billion. Of this an estimated $146 million will be used to fund AusAID's humanitarian, emergency and refugee programs, an increase of $14 million.
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