The European Commission has cleared a package of humanitarian aid worth euro 1.075 million for victims of flooding in Bangladesh. The aid, channelled via the European Community Humanitarian Office (ECHO), will enable humanitarian organisations to provide relief over the next six months. This year's flooding was marked by extensive river bank erosion, which affected millions of acres of land and swept away many houses. Much of the land was highly fertile, and its loss has been a major setback for farming and fishing communities which were just beginning to recover from last year's flooding. In the capital, Dhaka, the flooding has affected the most vulnerable slum dwellers, in particular street children. ECHO's programme will focus on food, relief items and medical support for the vulnerable, in particular for women and children, as well as on agricultural inputs and housing rehabilitation. ECHO's partners for this programme are the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, Oxfam (UK) and Cooperazione Internazionale (Italy).