Last updated on August 29th, 2024 at 11:15 pm
Dhaka, Bangladesh — At least 20 people have been killed, and more than 5.2 million affected, by the disastrous floodings in Bangladesh due to endless monsoon rains and swollen rivers, officials said Sunday. The floodwaters have left many communities cut off, and many have reached desperate needs for food, water, medication, and even dry clothes-especially in the most remote areas where the blocked roads have obstructed the rescue and relief actions.
Government Response to the Crisis
In a televised address, Government Chief Adviser Mohammad Yunus, who heads the interim administration after former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina was forced out by a student-movement-inspired uprising, said all steps have been taken to ensure that people affected by the Bangladesh flooding recover as soon as possible. Yunus, a Nobel Peace Prize winner, rallied his countrymen and said the government is doing everything possible to return conditions to normal as soon as possible.
Stories from the Flood Affected Areas
Scores of devastation have been left in Bangladesh from surging water and destroyed home, a farmer named Abdul Halim. A 65-year-old farmer from Comilla district, he recalled that his mud hut was swept by 10 feet high surge floodwater amid night sleep. He complained that there were very few reliefs that were available in the villages and people had to go near the main road to collect all the items.
Controversy and International Discussions
Some villagers have blamed the Bangladesh floods on the opening of dam sluice gates in India, bordering the country to the west, although New Delhi denied the accusation. In response, Yunus added that discussions with neighboring countries are in the process to prevent future flood situations.
Ongoing Flood Risk and Relief Efforts
The Bangladesh Meteorological Department has issued a warning that the flooding would continue as long as the monsoon rain persists, with the receding rate of water levels below expectation. Over 400,000 people have taken shelter in some 3,500 shelters across the 11 affected districts. As many as almost 750 medical teams have been deployed on the ground for treatment. The Army, Air force, Navy, and Border Guard Bangladesh are engaged in rescue operations.
Climate Change and Future Risks
A 2015 analysis led by the World Bank Institute estimated that because of the vulnerability to climate change, 3.5 million in Bangladesh are at risk from river flooding each year. Kabita Bose, Country Director of Plan International Bangladesh, called this year’s monsoon rains “widespread and devastating, with whole communities inundated”.
