City Desk :
In response to the devastating flash floods in Feni, COAST Foundation has launched a Community Kitchen initiative to provide hot meals to flood victims.
On September 3, approximately 400 people sheltering at Abdul Karim High School in Dagonbhuiyan Upazila received meals prepared by the foundation.
A team of 10 COAST Foundation members and 7 local kitchen staff managed the distribution. In partnership with Start Fund Bangladesh, COAST has provided cooked meals to 1,400 people across 8 shelters, distributing 23,000 food packets over the past week.
COAST Foundation’s Executive Director, M Rezaul Karim Chowdhury, along with senior officials, visited the kitchen site to oversee operations. They interacted with the flood-affected individuals, ensuring the quality of the food before distributing meals.
Rezaul emphasized that providing assistance in the wake of the flood is a rightful service, not just charity. Meanwhile, the local administration in Feni has been working to restore essential services, including electricity and mobile networks.
Initially, COAST funded the community kitchen programme independently. However, with support from Start Fund Bangladesh, they have expanded the initiative. Beyond hot meals, COAST has also distributed dry food packages in shelter centers.
COAST has also supported local NGOs, OPCA and PRAN, in Noakhali by providing dry food, bottled water, and saline for distribution. So far, the foundation has allocated BDT 800,000 for relief efforts and is seeking additional support from donor agencies.
The relief operations are being coordinated by Rezaul Karim Chowdhury from COAST’s central office in Dhaka, with senior staff assisting the field teams in Feni and Noakhali.
For over 15 years, COAST Foundation has been working in the Feni, Noakhali, and Lakshmipur districts, focusing on programs like microfinance and community organization.
To provide emergency humanitarian assistance to the flood-hit people of Sylhet and Sunamganj districts, Palli Karma-Sahayak Foundation (PKSF) has initially allocated BDT 1.98 crore. The fund is being used to distribute emergency food items, water purification tablets and oral rehydration solution packets among the flood victims.
The assistance activities are being conducted through 11 Partner NGOs of PKSF. In addition to the PKSF fund, the Partner NGOs are using their own funds to carry out various aid initiatives.
PKSF has made all preparations to augment the emergency relief activities, including raising the fund allocation considering the flood situation. In view of this, PKSF has formed a special committee that is monitoring the flood situation. In addition, a guideline has been formulated on the roles of the Partner NGOs in operating livelihood interventions during and after the flood.