UNITED NATIONS, Sep 6 (IPS) – Severe flooding and monsoon rains have hit Bangladesh since late August, affecting nearly 6 million people. Bangladeshi authorities have declared the floods the worst climate disaster in the country’s recent history. The latest floods follow the aftermath of Cyclone Remal, which devastated Bangladesh and West Bengal earlier this year.
Floods have caused widespread devastation in Bangladesh, with Feni, Cumilla, Laxipur, Chattogram and Noakhali districts worst hit. The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has said 71 people have died. The floods have decimated villages, destroying or submerging thousands of homes, leading to widespread internal displacement.
“So far, 500,000 people have reportedly been displaced in more than 3,400 evacuation centres,” Stéphane Dujarric, spokesman for the UN Secretary-General, said at a press conference on September 4 at UN headquarters in New York.
“We, together with our humanitarian partners, are mobilized and supporting the government-led flood response,” Dujarric said. “We are also helping with local efforts to assist the most vulnerable people and communities affected by these floods.”
Displaced persons shelters in Bangladesh have become overcrowded as civilians have been forced from their communities, raising concerns about the protection of affected women and girls, according to an August 30 report by the United Nations Inter-Cluster Coordination Group (ICCG).
Flooding has also damaged critical infrastructure in Bangladesh, severely hampering humanitarian aid efforts. Farah Kabir, ActionAid Bangladesh Country Director, said: “The disruption to roads and communications has further exacerbated their situation, making it difficult for them to reach safety and essential resources. The UN reports that some areas are completely inaccessible to aid workers due to high water levels.
According to the ICCG report, in Noakhali, approximately 50 percent of flood-affected areas are considered “inaccessible” by local authorities and aid workers. The floods have also caused significant power outages, exacerbating these accessibility challenges.
This has taken a significant toll on education across the country. Floods have destroyed educational institutions across the country and made numerous roads and thoroughfares impassable, making it extremely difficult for children to get to school. According to Dujarric, more than 7,000 schools are now closed due to flooding, which has affected 1.7 million children and young people.
Water purification systems have been severely compromised by the increase in dirty water filling the streets. Without access to emergency medical supplies, the risk of contracting waterborne diseases has increased significantly.
Kabir added: “The collapse of the sanitation system in many areas has worsened the public health crisis.”
Last week, In one case last week, the Bangladesh Directorate of General Health Services (Dte. GHS) reported that in a 24-hour period since the flooding began, 5,000 people had been admitted to hospital, with reports of cases of diarrhea, skin infections and snake bites. UNICEF is currently on the frontlines of this disaster, distributing 3.6 million water purification tablets to prevent the spread of disease.
Furthermore, the livelihoods of millions of people have been affected by the floods. Agriculture in particular has been hit the hardest. According to the Bangladesh Ministry of Agriculture, the floods have caused a loss of US$282 million in crop damage, affecting more than 1.3 million farmers. This is significantly damaging, as the agriculture sector employs about 42 percent of Bangladesh’s workforce.
Dujarric added that the floods have caused $156 million in losses to livestock and fisheries, devastating Bangladesh’s economy and greatly exacerbating food insecurity across the country.
“Due to disruptions in supplies, thousands of families are still stuck in shelters without food,” said Simone Parchment, the World Food Programme (WFP) representative in Bangladesh, in a press release issued on August 30. “Our focus is on providing emergency assistance to those who have been displaced and do not have the means to cook for themselves.”
Hundreds of thousands of people are at risk of starvation and malnutrition as aid workers rush to distribute dry food to reception centres. WFP is currently delivering fortified biscuits to 60,000 families in the hardest hit areas.
The acting UN Emergency Coordinator, Joyce Msuya, has allocated US$4 million from the UN Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF). In addition, UNICEF is on the frontlines of this disaster, providing more than 338,000 people with life-saving supplies. However, current efforts are not enough to mitigate this disaster. UNICEF has appealed for more than US$35 million from donors to provide medical assistance to all affected families.
It is also imperative to address the climate crisis, as Bangladesh is one of the most climate-vulnerable countries in the world. A 2015 report by the World Bank Institute stated that around 3.5 million people in Bangladesh are affected by annual river flooding, a problem that is only exacerbated by the climate crisis.
UNICEF Deputy Representative for Bangladesh Emma Brigham noted that the devastation caused by the floods in the eastern regions of Bangladesh was “a tragic reminder of the relentless impact of extreme weather events and the climate crisis”, particularly on children. “Far too many children have lost their loved ones, their homes, schools and are now completely destitute,” she said.
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