Bangladesh: International Assistance

Anne Main
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assistance his Department is providing to Bangladesh for the construction of cyclone defences following Cyclone Sidr in 2007.

Mr. Thomas
The UK provided around £20 million in response to three natural disasters in 2007, including Cyclone Sidr. Approximately £2 million has been used to repair damaged coastal defences and build shelter homes in areas affected by Cyclone Sidr.

The World Bank has launched a special project called the Emergency Cyclone Recovery and Restoration Project (ECRP). This is a £138 million (US $226 million) project of which £19 million (US$ 30 million) has been specifically allocated to repair the embankments damaged by Cyclone Sidr. The UK has contributed £19.6 million to this project through our support to the World Bank International Development Association 15 fund.