EU to Provide $1.7Mln Financial Aid to Cyclone-Hit India, Bangladesh - European Commission

BRUSSELS (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 22nd May, 2020) The European Union will allocate funds and provide technical assistance to India and Bangladesh hit by the Super Cyclone Amphan, the European Commission said in a statement on Thursday.

"The European Union will address immediate needs of populations affected by the cyclone, as well as protect humanitarian aid and health workers from their exposure to the [coronavirus] epidemic. The EU is determined to start helping people in need with no further delay and provides an initial funding of ��500.

000 [$547,285] for India and ��1.100.000 [$1.2 million] to support the immediate response in Bangladesh," the statement read.

The cyclone, one of the most powerful to hit the region in decades, moved into India and neighboring Bangladesh from the Bay of Bengal on Wednesday, flooding the coastline. It packed winds of up to 190 kilometers per hour (118 miles per hour). At least 84 people were killed in India and Bangladesh due to the harsh storm.