Heavy monsoon downpours in Bangladesh’s northeastern and northern regions have stranded hundreds of thousands of people, leaving millions of people marooned and triggering a humanitarian crisis. The flash floods swept away homes and inundated farmlands, forcing families to seek shelter on higher ground and temporary flood shelters.
An estimated 4.3 million people are impacted by the floods in seven northeastern districts of Sylhet, Sunamganj, Moulivazar, Habiganj, Netrakona, and Brahmanbaria. Many households are isolated due to the floods, while some have taken shelter in open areas. The safety and security of women and girls in those households are at high risk.
Major regional highways, including Sylhet-Sunamganj and Sylhet-Bholaganj, are submerged, and road connectivity has already snapped due to the intensity of flooding. Most of the markets in Sylhet and Sunamganj districts are not functioning, and people are managing their buffer foods and taking help from neighbours.
There has been a considerable effect on life in the SOS Children’s Villages in Chattogram and in Sylhet.
SOS Children’s Village Chattogram
Heavy overnight rain left large areas of the SOS Children’s Village submerged. Chattogram faces this situation almost every monsoon season and due to flash flood, this year it is worse. All family houses, community houses, co-worker residences, SOS Social Centre, SOS Hermann Gmeiner School, Guest House and office in the village were under water as of Sunday night. A total of 92 children and 12 SOS mothers and aunts were moved to the first floor of the school building.
If the flooding lasts much longer, homemade food will not be possible to deliver as cooking is not possible in this situation. Arrangements for dry foods are being made and to ensure safe water bottled water has been bought. Inadequate sanitation, disruption of normal life, interruption of education, increased risk of communicable diseases etc. are reported major concern.
SOS Children’s Village Sylhet
SOS Children’s Village Sylhet is not affected directly but the above mentioned situation will have indirect impact. They have taken some precautions; i.e. arrangements of alternate as electricity is interrupted, keeping extra food, basic medicines etc.
