The devastating floods that swept across parts of Bangladesh in 2024 left thousands of families in urgent need of basic necessities, from food and medicine to shelter and education materials. In response, ARS Bangladesh, in collaboration with Dollar a Day, Australia, launched the “Humanitarian Assistance for Flood-Affected People 2024” program. This crucial initiative is deliberate to bring immediate relief to families affected by the floods in Deluti Union, Paikgachha Upazila, Khulna District, and Kadra Union, Noakhali District.
This humanitarian effort focuses on addressing both immediate and longer-term needs by providing multi-purpose cash grants (MPCG), food packages, hygiene kits, and educational materials. With a comprehensive, community-centered approach, the project aims to restore dignity and stability to those impacted by the floods, equipping families with the resources needed to rebuild their lives.
A cornerstone of the assistance program is the Multi-purpose Cash Grant (MPCG) scheme, which provides each of 1,000 selected families with a cash grant of BDT 3,000. It was realized that, while food aid and essentials are invaluable, cash assistance empowers recipients to prioritize their immediate needs, be it food, medicine, or materials to repair their damaged homes. The program’s cash component is particularly essential in helping households avoid negative coping mechanisms that might compromise their well-being. By giving families agency over their spending, this cash support respects their dignity, letting them rebuild their lives in a way that suits their particular circumstances.
In addition to cash grants, food packages were distributed to a total of 2,300 families, ensuring that these communities could access vital nourishment during their time of need. The food distribution is part of the broader Food Assistance Package 2024, funded by Dollar a Day. Both MPCG and food support emphasize not just immediate sustenance but also long-term resilience, helping these families stabilize after the catastrophic impact of the flood.
In times of crisis, maintaining hygiene becomes a challenge, particularly for women and girls. Recognizing this, ARS Bangladesh and Dollar a Day have prioritized the distribution of customized hygiene kits to 300 families in flood-affected areas. These kits are designed to meet the needs of families, especially those with more than two adolescent girls and women, as well as women-led households who are most vulnerable to the floods’ impact.
Each hygiene kit is equipped with the essentials as recommended by the WASH (Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene) response, ensuring these families have the tools to maintain proper cleanliness practices. It includes:
Plastic Bucket with Lid (20 liters) for clean water storage to maintain hygiene.
Bathing Soap (4 pcs) and Detergent Powder for personal and laundry hygiene.
Sanitary Napkins for adolescent girls and women to manage their menstrual health comfortably.
Plastic Mug for daily hygiene practices.
Oral Rehydration Solution (ORS) to prevent dehydration from waterborne diseases.
Bleaching Powder to help families disinfect water and surfaces, minimizing the risk of infection.
This emphasis on hygiene is critical for preventing the spread of diseases, which often rise sharply in the wake of floods. The hygiene kits not only address basic sanitation but also support the dignity of women and girls by helping them manage their menstrual health even under challenging circumstances.
For many families, the floods not only damaged homes but also swept away vital education materials, disrupting children’s access to education. To support these students, the project includes a dedicated effort to distribute educational materials to 1,000 school students from marginalized families who lost school supplies due to the flood. This initiative underscores ARS Bangladesh and Dollar a Day’s commitment to protecting the rights and futures of the youngest flood survivors.
Each student selected for this program will receive a package containing:
Notebooks (4 pcs), Pens (6 pcs), and Pencils (4 pcs), Eraser and Sharpener as basic stationery to enable regular academic work.
School Backpack and Umbrella as practical support for school attendance, particularly during adverse weather.
By providing these essential materials, the project helps to restore a sense of normalcy for students who have faced disruptions to their education.
The Humanitarian Assistance for Flood-Affected People 2024 initiative is notable not only for its scope but also for its approach. Every aspect of the program from the cash grants and food aid to hygiene and education materials has been carefully designed to address the diverse needs of different demographic groups within the affected population. The distribution method is tailored to the context of each community, with care taken to respect cultural practices and logistical realities in each area. Local leaders and volunteers were actively involved in identifying the families most in. By engaging the community in this way, ARS Bangladesh and Dollar a Day strengthen local networks and lay the groundwork for long-term resilience.