Some 20 million Bangladeshis in urgent need of food aid

DHAKA, Bangladesh – Bangladesh will need food aid for 20 million people, or one-seventh of its population, over the next five months because of massive flooding that has destroyed crops, the country’s disaster minister said yesterday.

The worst monsoon rains and flooding in six years have covered 60 percent of this nation of 140 million since June, destroying crops and jobs, said food and disaster management minister Chowdhury Kamal Ibne Yusouf. The floods have disrupted Bangladesh’s US$4 billion textile industry, which earns nearly 80 percent of the country’s export earnings.The overall flood damage could total US$6,7 billion, officials have estimated.”We estimate that up to 20 million people will be needing food assistance from the government until next December.We are determined to take care of them,” Yusouf said.”We are getting international assistance in addition to our own food stocks.No one will die from starvation.”As waters have begun to recede in some areas, diseases have spread, adding almost daily to the country’s death toll of 589.That is about one-third of the 1 578 people who have died across South Asia since mid-June in the annual monsoon rains and floods, surpassing last year’s total of 1 500.The UN Children’s Fund launched an appeal yesterday to raise US$13,4 million to save tens of thousands of lives.”Bangladeshi children living on the edge urgently needed attention to save them from the worst ravages of the floods,” said a UNICEF statement.Diarrhea, dysentery and typhoid have affected more than 100 000 people and killed at least 60 of them, mostly children, government officials have said.- Nampa-APThe floods have disrupted Bangladesh’s US$4 billion textile industry, which earns nearly 80 percent of the country’s export earnings.The overall flood damage could total US$6,7 billion, officials have estimated.”We estimate that up to 20 million people will be needing food assistance from the government until next December.We are determined to take care of them,” Yusouf said.”We are getting international assistance in addition to our own food stocks.No one will die from starvation.”As waters have begun to recede in some areas, diseases have spread, adding almost daily to the country’s death toll of 589.That is about one-third of the 1 578 people who have died across South Asia since mid-June in the annual monsoon rains and floods, surpassing last year’s total of 1 500.The UN Children’s Fund launched an appeal yesterday to raise US$13,4 million to save tens of thousands of lives.”Bangladeshi children living on the edge urgently needed attention to save them from the worst ravages of the floods,” said a UNICEF statement.Diarrhea, dysentery and typhoid have affected more than 100 000 people and killed at least 60 of them, mostly children, government officials have said.- Nampa-AP