Background

Bangladesh is one of the most densely populated countries in the world. Despite remarkable progress in domestic food production, the country struggles to feed a huge and growing population of 140 million from declining land and water resources. Some 58 million are living below the poverty line. Widespread food insecurity and malnourishment are compounded by the devastating floods and seasonal cyclones that periodically hit the country.

Recent years have been no exception. Forty-six of Bangladesh’s 64 districts were affected by two waves of flooding in July and September 2007. The floods led to the destruction or damage of 890 000 hectares of crops and exposed almost 5 million cattle to outbreaks of foot-and-mouth disease. As communities struggled to overcome the impacts of the disaster, Bangladesh was struck by Cyclone Sidr on 15 November 2007. The storm claimed over 3 350 human lives, inflicted heavy damage on property and infrastructure and destroyed vast areas of crops. Over 2.5 million animals died, jeopardizing the livelihoods of rural communities that depend on livestock as a vital source of income and nutrition.

Meanwhile, the spread of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) has so far resulted in the culling of over 1.6 million domestic poultry and water fowl, seriously affecting the livelihoods of poultry farmers. In addition, household coping mechanisms are now being further strained by the impacts of soaring food prices. In the face of the disasters they face on many fronts, the resilience of the people of Bangladesh demands recognition from the international community and compels FAO to remain committed to agricultural recovery. 

FAO’s emergency role in Bangladesh

Present in the country since 1973, FAO established an Emergency Rehabilitation Coordination Unit (ERCU) in Bangladesh in 2004. The ERCU collaborates closely with Government counterparts including the Ministry of Agriculture, the Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock and the Ministry of Food and Disaster Management. FAO also works with other UN agencies and with non-governmental organizations such as Shawdesh Unnayan Kendra-Suk and Shakkaler Jannya Kallyan.

FAO’s ongoing emergency activities endeavour to:

• control the spread of post-flood foot-and-mouth disease through strategic livestock vaccination;
• rapidly strengthen the country’s capacity to prevent and control HPAI at its source;
• recover livelihoods of farmers affected by floods, cyclones and soaring food prices through the provision of essential agricultural inputs;
• prevent further decline of milk and milk products through emergency feeding and medical treatment of cattle;
• restore fish and shrimp farming livelihoods through the provision of essential supplies; and
• protect the livelihoods of the most vulnerable (landless households residing on the embankments of rivers and canals) by restoring fisheries and small livestock production.