Mercy Relief S'pore delivers aid to Bangladesh flood victims
Humanitarian organisation Mercy Relief Singapore has joined a team in Bangladesh to help deliver aid to 18,000 flood victims.
Mr Muhammad Ashik, Mercy Relief’s executive director, and Mr Lim LeCarl from its international programmes department arrived at the south-eastern Noakhali district on Sept 9.
There, they have been working with a 14-strong team from their ground partner, Heed Bangladesh, to distribute emergency food and sanitation packs, including water purification tablets, to 3,000 households hit by the floods.
Eleven districts in north-eastern and south-eastern Bangladesh have been severely affected by massive flash floods since Aug 22, Mercy Relief Singapore said in a statement on Sept 13.
The organisation said that according to initial reports, more than 5.2 million people are estimated to have been affected.
It also noted that rapid needs assessment by Oxfam on Sept 9 indicated that 90 to 95 per cent of rural homes in two of the most heavily affected districts – Noakhali and Feni – continue to be submerged even in the fourth week of the floods.
Poor drainage and continued monsoon rain in Bangladesh have caused floodwaters to recede very slowly, said Mercy Relief Singapore. This has disrupted water and sanitation infrastructure, and destroyed the livelihoods of rural communities.
“Initial food, water, sanitation and hygiene-based relief remains an urgent priority to help communities meet their basic essential needs as they embark on a slow and difficult recovery period.
“The floods have exacerbated the spread of water- and vector-borne diseases and affected populations in these areas,” the organisation said.
It added that follow-on support in livelihood recovery, repair of shelters, wells and sanitation facilities, and the delivery of medical treatment is needed.
Mercy Relief Singapore had been involved in aid missions to Pakistan in September 2022 to help flood victims, and delivered food packages and hygiene kits to Palestinian refugees in Gaza in March.
It is now appealing for urgent support from corporate and public donors to raise funds to continue to help flood victims and families in Bangladesh.
How to help
- Crowdfunding at website giving.sg/donate/campaign/bangladesh-floods-2024-relief-aid-fund
- Credit card donation via Mercy Relief’s website: mercyrelief.org/donate
- PayNow (UEN 200306035Z)
- Fund transfer to Mercy Relief’s DBS Current Account 054-900741-2. Donors to indicate “Bangladesh Floods 2024 Relief Aid Fund” in the comments field.
- Crossed cheque made out to “Mercy Relief Limited” and mailed to Blk 160, Lorong 1 Toa Payoh, #01-1568, Singapore 310160. Please write: Bangladesh Floods 2024 Relief Aid Fund, the donor’s name and his or her e-mail address on the back of the cheque.
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