The European Commission (EU) will provide €1.5 million as emergency aid to Bangladesh and Myanmar following floods and mudslides which affected thousands of people in both the countries.
Bangladesh will receive €500,000, while Myanmar will receive €1million for food assistance, shelter, water and sanitation, an EU press statement said on Thursday.
Christos Stylianides, EU Commissioner for Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Management said, "The EU stands by the people affected by the floods both in Bangladesh and Myanmar. With more rain on its way, the key priority now is to make sure people are safe - and then to help them rebuild their livelihoods. Our new humanitarian funding will provide immediate help to those in need through our partners on the ground."
The EU statement said Bangladesh has experienced excessive heavy floods and landslides as a result of pre-monsoon heavy rains occurring during the last week of June in the districts of Chittagong, Bandarban and Cox's Bazar.
The tropical cyclone Komen has also crossed the same districts leaving more than 320,000 people displaced in cyclone shelters in Cox's Bazar and Chittagong.
Myanmar has been experiencing heavy torrential rainfall since the end of June, associated with the Southwest Monsoon system which marks the start of the rainy season and lasts until October. The most affected regions are Sagaing region, Kachin and Shan States.
To aggravate the situation further, the tropical cyclone 'Komen' hit Rakhine State between July 30 and August 1, bringing more rainfall, severe winds and a storm surge in its wake. Reports indicate that some 259, 000 people were affected in Myanmar since June 2015.
In addition to the emergency funding, the EU's Civil Protection Mechanism has been activated at the request of the government of Myanmar. Bangladesh has not yet asked for the activation of the mechanism.