The New Nation - Internet Edition

Staff Reporter

Twenty-two foreign countries, the European Commission and the United Nations have so far pledged US$ 200 million for the cyclone Sidr-affected victims of Bangladesh.

The countries and development partners which have pledged and provided aid in cash and kind for the cyclone victims are: Saudi Arabia ($102.763m), Japan ($18.47m), USA ($13.64m), Kuwait ($10m), UK ($10m), EC ($9.08m), Netherlands ($7.20m), UN CERF ($7m), Norway ($3.35m), Canada ($3.40m), Australia ($2.75m), Belgium ($2m), Italy ($1.52m), Germany ($1.44m), Sweden ($1.28m), India ($1m in cash and relief), China ($1.05m), Spain ($1.08m), Libya ($1m), Switzerland ($0.16m), Pakistan (relief goods and two shipload of coarse rice), Turkey ($1m), Korea ($0.50m), Sri Lanka ($0.025m) and Thailand ($0.015m).

More countries, including the United Kingdom, Switzerland and the United States yesterday contributed more funds for the cyclone-affected survivors of Bangladesh.

Besides, the international and local organizations provided further contributions for the cyclone victims.

The UK government yesterday provided further $4 million (Tk 28 crore) for the cyclone survivors.

Announcing the fresh emergency cyclone relief, Douglas Alexander, Secretary of State for International Development, said, "Unless emergency relief supplies get to victims it is all too likely that more people will die needlessly. That is why the UK continues to provide funds to get more food, clean water, basic shelter and other emergency relief supplies to tens of thousands of survivors."

Sarah Sanyahumbi, Acting Head of DFID, said: 'The additional funding will give people whose employment has been swept away the chance to earn a living and get back on their feet.'

This contribution raises the UK government's total contribution to $14 million (Tk 96 crore), providing clean water to 260,000 families, emergency supplies and food to 70,000 families and rebuilding more than 16,000 homes. The funds and relief materials are going through various UN agencies, Save the Children UK, Oxfam, and CARE International who are working with local NGOs.

The UK's total aid to Bangladesh in 2007-08 amounts to $234 million.

The Switzerland government has provided an additional US$ 3,00,000 as relief assistance for the cyclone victims.

The contribution includes one expert from Swiss government's Humanitarian Aid Division, who would arrive in Bangladesh soon to support the relief operation, said a Swiss Embassy press release yesterday.

The additional financial assistance would be used to provide food and temporary shelter materials to the cyclone affected people in Khulna and Bagerhat districts. The relief materials will be distributed through two local NGOs--Rupantar and Asroy, the release added.

A large US aircraft with fresh shipment of relief materials arrived Dhaka International Airport yesterday morning.

The fresh US shipment, valued at $290,000 includes four water-treatment units (able to fulfil the daily water requirements of 10,000 people each), four 10,000-litre water-storage units, 2,400 jerry cans and 10,000 blankets.

From the Barisal relief headquarters, these goods will be transferred

to USAID's non-government organisation partners--Save the Children and World Vision. The relief materials will be distributed in

Barguna, Patuakhali and Pirojpur districts.

Receiving the shipment, US Charge de Affaires Geeta Pasi said the US has been providing assistance to Bangladesh for a long time. "We will stay as long as we are needed."

She said her country is now engaged in provisioning immediate needs of people, like water, food and jerry cans. The US military has

played a critical role in helping the government in transporting relief supplies to remote areas, she added.

US Agency for International Development (USAID) Mission Director Denise Rollins, who was present at the airport indicated that as part of reconstruction plans the US has a plan under a longer-term engagement to construct more cyclone centres in the coastal areas of Bangladesh that are routinely ravaged by natural disaster.

Food and Disaster Management Secretary Dr Ayub Miah received the shipment at the airport.

Mentioning government's appeal for half a million ton of rice, Rollins said the US government had responded two days before by announcing to pay US$ 10 million in this regard. With this additional amount, the annual food aid for this year would come to US$ 40 million from US$ 30 million.

Two Pakistani naval ships yesterday delivered medicines and dry and canned foods to Bangladesh authorities at Chittagong seaport for distribution among the cyclone victims.

Regional Commander of local naval zone Commodore M Naser received the relief supplies from the Pakistani ships, which arrived Tuesday to join the ongoing relief and rehabilitation operations in the coastal areas.

Among others, Mission Commander of the Pakistani naval ships Commodore Wasim Akram and Captain of the Pakistani ships 'Nasr' and 'Shajahan' and senior officials of Bangladesh Navy were present, said an ISPR release in Dhaka.

The Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) is expanding its response to meet the immediate needs of some 15,500 additional survivors, according to a report received from Silver Spring, Maryland, USA yesterday.

On the evening of November 15, Cyclone Sidr, struck islands offshore of Bangladesh where an estimated 31 of Bangladesh's 64 districts were affected by the storm.

The worst affected areas include Bagerhat, Barguna, Barisal, Bhola, Gopalgonj, Jhalkhati, Khulna, Mandaripur, Patuakhali, Pirojpur, Satkhira, and Shariatpur districts.

Meanwhile, 33 more individuals, institutions and organizations yesterday donated Tk 3,02,44,508 and US$ 15,04,000 to the Chief Adviser's Relief and Welfare Fund in aid of cyclone hit people.

Those donated fund were Turkish Ambassador on behalf of his government US$ 10 lakh, Korean Ambassador on behalf of his government US$ 5 lakh, one day salary of staffs and officers of Health Ministry and its departments Tk 1,13,34,404, one day salary of employees and officers of Privatisation Commission Tk 16,790 and Dhaka City College Tk 3.78 lakh.

Among others, Anjuman Mofidul Islam donated Tk 5 lakh, one day salary of staffs and officers of Bangladesh Audit and Accounts department Tk 7 lakh, Barclays Capital Tk 5 lakh, Thakurgaon District Association Tk 50,000, one day salary of officers and employees of Bangladesh Shilpa Bank Tk 2.20 lakh, Industrial units under BCIC, Dhaka Tk 31 lakh, Rajshahi University Tk 3 lakh, Chittagong EPZ Tk 15,15 lakh, Dhaka EPZ Tk 29.96 lakh, Comilla EPZ Tk 2.60 lakh, Adamjee EPZ Tk 2.89 lakh, Karnophuli EPZ Tk 90,000 and US$ 4,000, Mongla EPZ Tk 79,000, Ishwardi EPZ Tk 65,000, one day salary of officers and staffs of BEPZA Tk 1.43 lakh, one day salary of Bangladesh Shilpa Rin Sangstha Tk 1 lakh.

Besides, Chittagong Stock Exchange Ltd Tk 10 lakh, BKMEA Tk 25 lakh, Ana Olga Martinez Sanchez, JHK Traders S.L. Tk 12.50 lakh, Satsango Bangladesh Tk 5 lakh, Gulshan Club Tk 10 lakh, Gulshan Joggers Society Tk 1 lakh, Human Resource Development Co Ltd Tk 10 lakh, Gulshan Health Club Tk 1 lakh, Glaxo Smith Kline Employees Union Chittagong Tk 1 lakh, ACC Secretary Muklesur Rahman and his family Tk 22,000, Syed M Jasim Uddin, Bangaldeshi expatriate in Oman Tk 26,000 and Khandoker Rashiduzzaman Baridhara, Dhaka Tk 10,000 contributed to the CA's Relief and Welfare Fund.

Dhaka City Corporation Mayor and Ward Commissioners provided relief materials worth Tk 40 lakh for distribution of cyclone affected people. DCC Mayor Sadeque Hossain Khoka yesterday sent a fleet of 11 trucks loaded with relief goods to the affected Bagerhat, Barisal and Barguna districts from Nagar Bhaban yesterday.

The relief goods include rice, lentil, water cans, saree and lungi, blankets and sweaters, crushed rice, molasses, biscuits, cooking oil, shirts and trousers, jackets, medicines, water purification tablets, candles, utensils, and shoes and sandals.