New York: The United Nations has allocated $8.8 million from its Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) to support relief efforts in Bangladesh which was struck by a deadly cyclone last week claiming over 3100 lives and leaving millions homeless.

The grant will make funds available immediately for relief operations and enable several UN agencies, including the World Food Programme (WFP), the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) and the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), to provide food, shelter, water and sanitation.

"I hope this first allocation of CERF funds will enable some important and immediate life saving needs to be met. But I am well aware that much more is likely to be required both from the UN and other donors, and over a significant period - such is the scale of the disaster affecting so many people," said UN Emergency Relief Coordinator John Holmes.

Citing government statistics, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said that over 2,400 people are dead and nearly 1,500 missing after Cyclone Sidr, the second strongest of three major storms ever to hit Bangladesh, made landfall on November 16.

In addition, the storm is responsible for the destruction of some 273,000 homes and crops over 760,000 acres.

Source : PTI