Second Wave of Floods Strands Nearly 2 Million in Bangladesh Within a Month

Boston Brand Media brings you the latest news Extensive flooding has stranded about 1.8 million people in northeast Bangladesh after weeks of heavy rains submerged homes and devastated farmland, according to state media and humanitarian agencies.

Video shows large parts of Sylhet city and the nearby town of Sunamganj underwater in the second wave of flooding to hit the region in less than a month, state-run news agency Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha (BSS) reported Saturday.

The widespread flooding was triggered by prolonged torrential rain and water runoff from hilly regions upstream on the border with India, causing four rivers to swell beyond their danger marks, the Water Development Board said last week, according to local media.

Villagers in the hardest-hit low-lying areas of Sylhet were seen wading through chest-deep water, piling their belongings to protect them from the muddy waters.

Local media reported concerns for those trapped by floodwaters who now face food shortages and a lack of clean water.

About 964,000 people in Sylhet and 792,000 in Sunamganj have been affected by the flooding, with authorities setting up over 6,000 shelters to help the displaced, BSS reported.

Among them are 772,000 children in urgent need of assistance, the United Nations’ Children’s Fund (UNICEF) said Friday. More than 800 schools were flooded, with 500 more used as flood shelters.

“As waters rise, children are the most vulnerable, facing heightened risks of drowning, malnutrition, deadly waterborne diseases, the trauma of displacement, and potential abuse in overpopulated shelters,” said Sheldon Yett, UNICEF Representative to Bangladesh.

International development organization BRAC is providing emergency food and health support to hundreds of families in Sylhet and Sunamganj. The organization reported that about 2.25 million people have been affected by the flash floods, leaving 12,000 people without power.

Khondoker Golam Tawhid, head of BRAC’s Disaster Risk Management Program, stated that flooding in the country is “becoming more dangerous,” causing “huge losses to livelihoods, biodiversity, and infrastructure, along with interruptions to schooling and health services.”

“Bangladesh is accustomed to flooding, but climate change is making floods more intense and less predictable, making it impossible for families to stay safe, let alone plan ahead,” Tawhid said.

Boston Brand Media looked into the Fish farmers have faced significant losses as floodwaters washed away thousands of farms and ponds, with local media reporting an economic toll of over $11.4 million.

Densely populated and low-lying Bangladesh is prone to seasonal rains, flooding, and cyclones. However, it is one of the world’s most vulnerable countries to the impacts of the human-caused climate crisis. Studies show that as extreme weather events become more frequent and severe due to the climate crisis, the humanitarian and economic impacts on Bangladesh will worsen.

By 2050, 13 million people in Bangladesh could become climate migrants, and severe flooding could cause GDP to fall by as much as 9%, according to the World Bank.

The latest heavy rains and floods came as the region was still recovering from widespread flooding in late May following Tropical Cyclone Remal, which affected about 5 million people in Bangladesh and southern India.

“For many, this will change the course of their lives, leaving them without homes and schools and forcing them to move to temporary shelters for an unknown duration,” said Sultana Begum, Save the Children’s regional humanitarian advocacy and policy manager for Asia.

“Everything we are hearing points to these extreme weather events getting worse. We have not seen two bouts of severe flooding happen in such quick succession before. The climate emergency is already making its mark on India and Bangladesh, robbing children of their homes, families, food, water, and access to education and healthcare.”

Monsoon rains and landslides have also affected southern Bangladesh, where about a million Rohingya refugees live in the world’s largest refugee camps, having fled persecution and violence in neighboring Myanmar.

At least 10 people, including three children, died from mudslides and heavy rainfall in the refugee camps near Cox’s Bazar on Wednesday, according to Bangladesh’s Ministry of Disaster Management and Relief.

“People have been evacuated from the low-lying areas and at least 500 people have been shifted to other relief centers,” Hasan Sarwar, head of the refugee cell for the ministry, told CNN last week.

Many Rohingya refugees live in bamboo and tarpaulin shelters perched on hilly slopes that are vulnerable to strong winds, rain, and landslides. Save the Children reported that about 8,000 people in 33 camps have been impacted by the torrential downpours, which have destroyed or damaged more than 1,000 shelters.

The humanitarian group noted that the monsoon season in Bangladesh has only just started and will last for the next two months, with the potential to bring more heavy rains, landslides, and flooding.

Landslides, heavy rains, and flooding have also hit the neighboring Indian state of Assam, affecting more than 4 million people, according to Save the Children.

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Source:CNN‍