A woman carries her belongings through flood waters in Kurigram, Northeast Bangladesh. © CARE / Mukti Majumder125 people have died in heavy monsoon rains in southeast and northeast Bangladesh, including at least four who were participating in CARE projects. The majority of victims were children, who were killed mainly in landslides, or trapped under collapsed walls.
Approximately 5 million have been affected across the country, with 600,000 people displaced from their homes. The fire service’s rescue operation in Chittagong is ongoing. 110,000 people are still trapped in flooded areas, including 40,000 families in Cox’s Bazaar.
Damaged crops
Much of the Chittagong city is affected by flash-floods, shutting both rail and air communication with the rest of the country. The activities at the port are also being hampered by the rough weather. The Chittagong Hill Tracts have also reported major damages to their summer crops.
Flooding took a critical turn in the North East. Sylhet, Sunamganj and Kurigram were submerged by the continuous onrush of water from hills, marooning more than 1,070,000 people, leaving several homeless as their earth houses were washed away by the floodwater.
In the low lying Char regions of Kurigram- people are stranded in boats and are trying to find shelter on higher ground. The flood has damaged the seed beds for their next crop. In Sylhet, more than 100,000 day-labourers at stone quarries have lost their jobs as Bholaganj, Jaflong and Lobhachhara quarries have not operated since 26 June, after the quarries were submerged. Road communications between Sylhet city and other surrounding districts remain suspended.
CARE prepares to respond
CARE, with more than 60 years’ experience of working with the people of Bangladesh, is prepared to respond and is collaborating closely with other agencies to conduct a rapid needs assessment in the affected areas, in order to determine the scale and nature of needs. The main areas affected are the S. East districts of Chittagong, Cox’s Bazaar and Bandorbon; and the N. Eastern districts of Sylhet, Sunamganj and Kurigram.
As the flood situation may deteriorate in Kurigram, Sylhet and Sunamganj area, concerned CARE field offices remain in high alert.
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