Standard Chartered, CAMPE to support 15,000 flood-impacted with emergency relief

Standard Chartered Bangladesh and Campaign for Popular Education (CAMPE) will deliver emergency essentials and other necessary aid to flood-impacted individuals across Sylhet.

As part of the bank's immediate response to the recent flood situation, packages containing emergency food and hygiene supplies have already been disbursed to 5,000 beneficiaries. More 10,000 beneficiaries will be supported through the next phase of the initiative, reads a press release.

Each relief package is structured to feed a family of five for up to two weeks and ensures that families are able to keep themselves and their surroundings clean. Food supplies being provided to all 15,000 beneficiaries follow standard nutrition and calorie intake guidelines.

ORSaline-N has also been provided as part of the distribution to help stave off waterborne illness.

This emergency intervention delivers aid to vulnerable communities who have been hard hit by recent flooding across northern Bangladesh. Beneficiaries for this emergency intervention include families with little to no income opportunities, households led by women and widows, individuals residing in slums, those with disabilities, and members of ethnic and religious minority groups.

Naser Ezaz Bijoy, chief executive officer, Standard Chartered Bangladesh, said, "Estimates show that at the flood peak, 72% of the Sylhet district was submerged. My heart goes out to everyone impacted by this devastating calamity. We sincerely hope that these essential food and hygiene supplies will keep families safe and nourished in the coming two weeks, while they recover and get back on their feet. Unfortunately, these recent floods are the worst our country has seen in the last few decades. We will continue to monitor the current situation and ensure that vulnerable members of our community get the help that they need."

Rasheda K Choudhury, executive director, Campaign for Popular Education (CAMPE), said, "The recent floods have shown us the fury of nature, but also given us the confidence to rely on the strength and resilience of our people. We appreciate the proactive moves taken by Standard Chartered Bangladesh to reach out to flood-affected communities with timely help through CAMPE and its local partner organisations. We need to continue this partnership to help distressed communities in their rehabilitation efforts, particularly in helping learners to get back to schools with necessary reading and writing materials. Bangladesh has been managing disasters well and will continue to do so in partnership with all stakeholders like government agencies, NGOs, and the private sector."

Following the disbursement of relief packages to 15,000 beneficiaries, the bank will work to enable long-term recovery in an effort to mitigate the lasting impacts of the year's catastrophic flooding. As part of this, Standard Chartered Bangladesh is working closely with execution partners to address two post-flood challenges – diminished access to healthcare and resources, along with job loss and the need for reskilling and reintegration into the economy.

With over 117 years of uninterrupted presence in the nation, Standard Chartered Bangladesh is dedicated to driving commerce and growth without leaving people behind, negatively impacting the planet, or creating divisions that diminish our sense of community. The bank's community initiatives over the years have focused on economic empowerment of marginalised communities; bridging the gender gap; improving access to health, education, and financial literacy.

Raising awareness about the environment and working to combat climate change has been a top priority for the Bank given the extreme risk the climate crisis poses to communities across Bangladesh. The world today is grappling with challenges that are unprecedented ­– both in terms of scope and scale. To deal with immediate challenges brought on by the pandemic, Standard Chartered is working with development sector partners to deliver aid and essentials to hard-hit communities and to support frontline health services. To enable longer-term recovery, the bank is focused on empowering communities via education, skills development, workforce reintegration, health interventions, and digital innovation.

Campaign for Popular Education (CAMPE) is an advocacy and campaign network that has been operating in Bangladesh since 1991. CAMPE works closely with the government, policymakers, and development partners and with different national, regional, and global forums and actors.