To ask the Secretary of State for International Development from which budget the recently announced £7 million to aid relief efforts in Bangladesh following Cyclone Sidr will be taken; and whether this money is additional funding that has not previously been announced. (170294)

The £7 million for cyclone relief has not previously been announced. Of this total, £4.5 million has been allocated from underspends this financial year in the Bangladesh country programme—caused mainly by the complex political situation in Bangladesh—and £2.5 million from DFID’s central humanitarian and emergency aid budget. The reallocated underspend reflects normal in-year adjustments against forecast spending; these funds have not been diverted from existing projects or programmes.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what recent assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the relief effort in Bangladesh following Cyclone Sidr. (172183)

The emergency response has been rapid, especially that of the Government of Bangladesh, who have taken a strong co-ordination lead. Relief efforts have reached nearly all affected areas, but there is room for better co-ordination in reaching the ultra-poor and most needy. The water availability crisis has passed, owing to the high attention given to this by the Government, supported by others, including the military and some donors. However, a large number of people remain in makeshift camps that are still in urgent need of water, sanitation and hygiene support. The UK is looking to support meeting these short to medium-term needs by allocating £2.5 million, from our £7 million pledge for cyclone relief, to CARE, OXFAM GB, and Save the Children UK. This will focus on water, sanitation and hygiene promotion in the most affected areas.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what (a) financial and (b) other aid has been pledged by the UK to the Bangladesh relief effort; and what progress is being made on the delivery of this aid. (172184)

The UK has pledged £7 million for Cyclone Sidr relief in Bangladesh. The first tranche of £2.5 million went through the United Nations Development Programme and has been providing immediate assistance in the form of food, clean and safe water, medical treatment and housing repairs since the relief operations started. The second tranche of £2.5 million has been programmed through Save the Children UK, Oxfam GB and CARE to focus on water, sanitation and hygiene promotion needs. These NGOs are already operational in the cyclone affected areas. Out of the remaining £2 million, the UK Government have provided non-food items, such as blankets and jerry cans, to 70,000 families in the worst affected districts and 12 boats to help with the relief operation—of which four have been provided to Save the Children, four to the Bangladesh Rural Advancement Committee and four to the Government of Bangladesh for the emergency disaster response. The remaining funds are being programmed for the restoration of livelihoods and disaster management co-ordination.