Minister of International Development Hilde F. Johnson has today responded to the UN’s appeal for assistance to flood victims in Bangladesh by allocating NOK 6.5 million to UN emergency relief efforts and NOK 5.5 million to projects run by Médicins sans Frontières and two Norwegian organisations, Normisjon and the Strømme Foundation.

This means that Norway has now allocated NOK 22 million to emergency relief for flood victims in South Asia. The funding is being used to provide food, water, medical assistance, shelter and seeds for those who are hardest hit by the flooding.

The UN estimates that more than 30 million people in Bangladesh have lost their homes or been isolated by the floods. Huge areas of crops have been destroyed, and five million people are in urgent need of food. The lack of clean water and the difficult sanitary conditions have resulted in serious outbreaks of disease.

Bangladesh often suffers from flooding and has established effective flood protection schemes. Nevertheless, the monsoon rains this year have caused heavier flooding than for many years.

Press contact: Head of Information Espen Gullikstad, tel. + 47 917 08 122