Only 1/3 of UN aid appeal for Bangladesh received

Ahead of a donor meeting here Tuesday, the United Nations urged donors not to forget the flood in Bangladesh which killed 900 people and displaced 4 million others recently.

Only one third of the UN appeal -- about 69 million US dollars -- has been so far received from the international community in assistance for the flood victims, the spokeswoman for the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), Elisabeth Byrs, told reporters on Tuesday.

The United Nations Resident Coordinator in Bangladesh, Jorgen Lissner, described the present situation in flood-affected areas as a "quiet disaster," said Byrs.

"They have no income, damaged shelters, few assets and are highly vulnerable to disease," Lissner was cited as saying.

Clean drinking water is in short supply as thousands of water sources are still contaminated by floodwater, said Byrs.

More than half the population in Bangladesh are dependent on agriculture to earn a living, but many farmers' seed stocks have been swept away.

The United Nations appealed on Aug. 12 for 210 million dollars to help the poorest recover from the impact of the flood. "The meeting in Geneva today will review the status of the UN appeal for aid," Byrs said.

Source: Xinhua