Facebook supports Bangladesh Red Cross and BRAC in flood response

Experts consider this year's flood as the longest one in terms of duration since 1998, directly affecting 33 districts and the lives of 55 lakh people. 

People's sufferings have deepened as it has coincided with the COVID-19 pandemic, causing hundreds of thousands of people to slip into dire poverty. 

To ensure that emergency response organisations, mostly potential donors and volunteers, are able to reach flood affected population, Facebook conducted a training to equip BRAC and Bangladesh Red Crescent Society (BDRCS) with the critical digital capabilities to build out a outreach campaign and utilise Facebook’s tools and products to assist communities in the country. 

Facebook also supported BDRCS and BRAC by helping to promote and amplify their content on crisis response among various groups, a press release says.

“Keeping the vision of a digital Bangladesh, we are striding ahead. Social media is already playing a vital role in tackling the risks of natural disasters in Bangladesh,” Additional Secretary at the Ministry of Disaster Management and Relief Md Ali Reza Mazid said.

“When a global platform like Facebook has come forward to assist the flood-affected people of Bangladesh, it is going to be even easier for us to engage more people in this,” he added while appreciating the collaboration. 

Director of BRAC Humanitarian Programme Sajedul Hasan thanked facebook for partnering with BRAC and said, "Post-flood rehabilitation is no less challenging than during-flood operations, considering shortage of work, drinking water and disease outbreaks.”

BRAC launched its emergency response with its own fund immediately after the flood had hit the country, in coordination with the government and other national and international organisations. It disseminated early warning messages by incorporating COVID-19 preventive measures and distributed dry food and oral saline, including cash assistance to 50,000 families.

The organisation also gave Tk 2,000 to each of the families in the worst affected seven districts, namely Lalmonirhat, Kurigram, Gaibandha, Bogura, Jamalpur, Sirajganj and Sunamganj. 

From the beginning of the flood, BDRCS mobilized more than 1,000 volunteers in 36 districts and provided essential services to more than 560,000 affected families including Water Sanitation & Hygiene, Food parcel and cash to meet their humanitarian needs. 

BDRCS volunteers also work closely with district administration and share useful information with affected populations to save their lives during the ongoing flood.

Director of the Disaster Risk Management (DRM) Md Belal Hossain said, “During the recent floods, many people have lost everything. We have been on the ground since the beginning of the crisis, supporting vulnerable communities - not only by responding, but also by taking early measures to mitigate the loss.” 

In the aftermath, their aim is to ensure that the flood affected people have better shelter; sanitation and hygiene facilities; access to basic healthcare; and livelihood security.