Earlier today, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Government of Bangladesh signed an agreement to launch a USD 14.444 million initiative, aimed at substantially reducing the impact of natural and man-made disasters on the people of Bangladesh over the next five years.
UNDP contributed USD 6.340 million towards the initiative, while the United Kingdom Department for International Development (DFID) gave a further USD 8.104 million through UNDP.

Bangladesh, one of the world's most densely populated countries, is prone to frequent disasters including, cyclones,

Dear Friends,
Please reference our Alert dated 15 July 1997 reporting on the floods and our immediate response of US$ 25,000 to Social Health and Educational (SHED) Board's request for assistance. Thereafter the ACT Coordinating Office also sent US$ 15,000 to Bangladesh Auxiliary Services for Social Development (BASSA) from the Rapid Response Fund (RRF).

ACT members were able to meet only partial relief needs with the amounts received as RRF and have since requested further assistance to meet the remaining needs of the flood affected people.

The ACT Coordinating Office will shortly

(4:37pm AEST)

Four people have been killed in western Japan, after a landslide triggered by torrential rain hit a mountain area in Takarazuka.

Weather officials have warned continued rainfall in southwestern Japan may trigger further landslides.

Meanwhile, the death toll from four days of landslides and floods in Bangladesh has risen to 57, after 14-more fatalities were reported overnight.

Nineteen-people are also missing or feared dead after a boat they were on board capsized in the turbulent Sangu river.

More than half-a-million people have