Red Crescent Society supports urban people in need in Dhaka

GBNEWS24 DESK//

Bangladesh Red Crescent Society (BDRCS) delivered the first round of cash assistance to vulnerable urban communities located in Dhaka South City Corporation with support of German Red Cross on Monday and Tuesday. These urban communities have lost their incomes due to the COVID-19 pandemic as the country was under general holidays for almost two and half months. Based on the minimum expenditure basket, each individual received 5,000 BDT through bkash to enable them to meet essential needs such as food, medicines and other utilities, according to a press release.This cash grant support was provided as part of repurposed intervention towards COVID-19 response by BDRCS  with support from German Red Cross  who leads on a Consortium project called Dhaka Earthquake and Emergency Preparedness -Enhancing Resilience (DEEPER) with other partners such as,  British Red Cross, Christian Aid and Action Contre La Faim (ACF) and IFRC as technical partner. This redirected intervention is ongoing since early April with psychosocial support through online counselling and awareness raising on COVID-19 through information, education and communication materials.Feroz Salah Uddin, BDRCS Secretary General said, “Cash distribution is one of the key response strategies of the BDRCS.It contributes towards community empowerment and thereby upholding the localization approach. This cash grant support will help households in the provision of basic essentials of life”.Ward 27 counselor Omar Bin Abdul Aziz said, “Households with different socio-economic status particularly urban migrant labourers, slum dwellers and single headed, women led households were targeted in this phase by BDRCS and the Consortium and support was extended. This support is very timely. People were cashless for months now. This will help them to buy basic commodities.”