CHF 219,317 (USD 210,914 or EUR 148,704) was allocated from IFRC's DREF on 21 January 2010 to support the Bangladesh Red Crescent Society (BDRCS) in delivering immediate assistance to 50,000 people (approximately 10,000 families). At the Final Financial Report, expenditure is reported at CHF 200, 990 (USD 182, 140 or EUR 147, 868); and the balance of CHF 18, 327 (EUR 13, 483 or USD 16, 608) has been paid back to DREF.
The northern and south-western part of Bangladesh experienced a severe cold wave from mid December 2009 till the end of January 2010. Due to the heavy fog and severe cold the agricultural and fisheries sector suffered. The chilling cold weather also had an adverse impact on peoples' health. Poor people in the northern part of the country suffered the most. BDRCS with support from IFRC responded swiftly to the cold wave.
BDRCS and IFRC distributed 48,000 blankets from BDRCS' existing disaster preparedness (DP) stocks. With the DREF allocation BDRCS and IFRC provided packages of warm clothing to 10,000 families. The warm clothing package contained two blankets, one shawl, one woollen cap, one saree and one lungi. Three major items in the package: the blankets, shawls, and woollen caps, were procured by following the IFRC procurement procedure. Other items in the package were dispatched from DP stock. All items were replenished by mid April, 2010 using DREF money.
Packages of warm clothing were distributed to 10,000 people, the packages helped keep the poor and homeless people warm from the bitter cold of January, 2010.
The DREF allocation has been replenished by: the European Commission Humanitarian Aid department (80 per cent) and the Canadian Red Cross and Canadian government (20 per cent).