The floods this year have been catastrophic, and with the added threat of the coronavirus, have only made life more difficult for thousands of families who have been affected as a result. Too often, we have been left unprepared, with people stranded with no provisions and relief to survive the devastation.
To that end, it was extremely encouraging to see that, with the aid of Start Fund Bangladesh and Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) formerly known as UKAID, the National Development Program was able to rapidly respond to the needs of hundreds of families who were at risk of starvation due to being affected by the floods.
It must be noted that this response was possible due to prior preparation and a sense of urgency; Start Fund Bangladesh’s 72-hour rapid response mechanism, which ensures fund allocation within that time period, was what allowed the relief to reach the people on time.
This is the sort of forward-thinking and planning that the country has been demanding, particularly when it comes to disaster management and providing relief, which have for too long lacked speed and decisiveness.
As a country which faces floods every year, we must devise a more rapid, pro-active, and responsive mechanism to the needs and demands of affected communities and front line helpers. Start Fund Bangladesh’s approach is the right way to go, and should be emulated across the board, so that people’s sufferings are not prolonged, and aid and assistance reaches in the shortest time possible.
