Bangladesh yesterday asked international donors for $681.5 million (£490 million) in emergency aid for food and agriculture, after the worst floods in 10 years had hit more than two thirds of the country and put half of Dhaka under water.
The Finance Minister, Mr S.A.M.S. Kibria, made the plea at a meeting of donor representatives including the envoys of the US, Britain, Germany, Australia, the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank.
The official BSS news agency said yesterday that the response from donors had come quickly with the US committing up to 250,000 million tonnes of grain.
It said Denmark would provide $14 million for the repair of Dhaka-Aricha highway which links the capital with north and north-western districts. Other nations which have made commitments include Britain ($656,000), Norway ($300,000) and Canada ($196,200).
The German embassy said its country would offer food items worth $327,000 in immediate relief.
Triggered by heavy monsoon rains, the floods have killed nearly 400 people and destroyed crops worth nearly $300 million, officials said yesterday.
Preliminary estimates show that at least 700,000 tonnes of rice, the main staple, have been destroyed on 600,000 hectares.
Mr Kibria feared the worst might be yet to come and said the country might need more aid.
The floods have threatened the Bangladesh economy which recorded a moderate 5.6 per cent gross domestic product growth in 1997/98.
More than 5,000 people died in the 1988 floods that had left the country's economy and infrastructure in shambles.
Meanwhile, China said yesterday that devastating floods this summer had killed 3,004 people, a sharp increase from the 2,000 fatalities reported at the start of the month. Nationwide flooding had caused at least 166.6 billion yuan (£14 billion) in economic losses, said Mr Wen, who is also the head of the State Flood Control Headquarters.