20 people died due to floods in Bangladesh, more than 50 lakh people affected
Bangladesh: In Bangladesh, floods brought on by unrelenting monsoon rains and overflowing rivers have claimed at least 20 lives and impacted over 5.2 million people, according to authorities on Sunday.
Particularly in isolated places where blocked roads have complicated rescue and relief operations, the floods have left many people stranded and in desperate need of food, clean water, medication, and dry clothing.
In a televised speech, Government Chief Adviser Mohammad Yunus said that the government has taken all the required steps to guarantee that flood victims may quickly return to their regular lives.
The temporary administration headed by Nobel Peace Prize laureate Yunus took office this month after former prime minister Sheikh Hasina left the nation in the wake of a student-led rebellion.
Abdul Halim, a 65-year-old farmer from the Comilla area, said that in the middle of the night, a 10-foot-tall rush of floodwater carried his mud cabin away.
“Water and commodities are absent. Seldom has anybody arrived in the communities to provide relief (help). To get it, you have to physically approach the main road,” he said on Reuters television.
The claim that the floods in Bangladesh were brought on by the opening of dam sluice gates in neighboring India has been denied by New Delhi.
“We have begun discussions with neighbouring countries to prevent future flood situations,” Yunus said.
Because the water levels are dropping extremely slowly, the Bangladesh Meteorological Department has issued a warning that flood conditions might last if the monsoon rains continue.
In the 11 flood-affected districts, over 400,000 people have sought safety in over 3,500 shelters. Nearly 750 medical teams are on the scene to treat the victims, and the army, air force, navy, and Border Guard Bangladesh are supporting rescue efforts, according to officials.
One of the nations most susceptible to climate change, Bangladesh, is home to 3.5 million people who may be at danger of yearly river floods, according to a 2015 World Bank Institute report. Scientists believe that climate change is to blame for the escalation of such catastrophic disasters.
“This year’s monsoon rains have had a widespread and devastating impact,” said Plan International Bangladesh’s Country Director Kabita Bose.
“Entire communities have been completely inundated, and there are now millions of people, including children, in need of safe shelter and lifesaving humanitarian assistance,” she said.
