UK to provide 5.7cr taka in humanitarian aid for flood victims

The United Kingdom has announced £355,000 (around 5.7 crore taka) in life-saving humanitarian assistance to support more than 55,000 people affected by recent flooding in southeast and northeast Bangladesh, British High Commissioner to Bangladesh Sarah Cooke said on Wednesday.

The funding will provide emergency cash assistance, food and hygiene supplies to flood-hit communities across six of the worst-affected districts, while reaffirming the UK's commitment to helping Bangladesh prepare for, respond to and recover from natural disasters.

"The UK stands with the people of Bangladesh affected by these devastating floods," Cooke said.

"This humanitarian assistance will help provide vital support to more than 55,000 people across some of the worst-affected areas in southeast and northeast Bangladesh," she added.

Managed by the Start Network and delivered through national and local NGOs, the UK-funded assistance will reach communities in Cox's Bazar, Bandarban, Rangamati, Chattogram, Khagrachhari and Moulvibazar.

The latest package builds on £245,000 (approximately 3.9 crore taka) in emergency funding released in May 2026 for communities affected by earlier flooding in the Sylhet region.

With the new allocation, the UK government's disaster response support for Bangladesh this year has exceeded £600,000 (around 9.6 crore taka), alongside its ongoing assistance to strengthen the country's long-term climate resilience, the British High Commission in Dhaka said.

The UK is also supporting flood-affected communities through its contributions to the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies' Disaster Response Emergency Fund (DREF).

Through the DREF, a total of £438,348 (around 7.2 crore taka) is being provided to assist people affected by flooding across 10 of the worst-hit districts in northeast and southeast Bangladesh.

In addition to humanitarian assistance, the UK has been supporting Bangladesh's flood forecasting capacity through the UK-Bangladesh hydro-meteorological partnership.

Under the initiative, data from the UK Met Office has been integrated into Bangladesh's national forecasting systems, improving the accuracy of flood forecasts and extending warning lead times.

According to the High Commission, the enhanced forecasting system enabled earlier warnings and faster emergency responses ahead of recent flash floods, with further work planned to ensure alerts reach communities most at risk.