Thousands face shortages of food and essentials while houses, roads and croplands have been severely damaged
International relief agency Islamic Relief has launched an emergency appeal to help people hit hard by the worst floods in two decades in north-eastern Bangladesh.
Thousands face shortages of food and essentials while houses, roads and croplands have been severely damaged, and schools and buildings submerged in water.
More than 70% of the district of Sylhet and 60% of the neighbouring Sunamganj district have been affected, leaving two million people stranded and dozens dead.
Approximately 50,000 families have been without power for days in the Sylhet city area due to the submergence of power stations, depriving people of electricity.
Thousands of toilets and tube wells have already been destroyed, and without adequate sanitation and shelter, many are even more vulnerable to the spread of disease.
Communication and transportation have been heavily disrupted, and the United Nations last week said more than 1.5 million children in the country were at increased risk of waterborne diseases, drowning and malnutrition due to the floods.
Islamic Relief is on the ground, providing essential food, sanitation, and hygiene kits, as well as vital shelter repair for thousands of people in need. It is also providing vital hygiene promotion sessions to help thousands of people navigate through the ongoing crisis as safely as possible.
Tufail Hussain, director of Islamic Relief UK, said: “This is one of the worst floods in decades for this region and millions are now at risk of disease and malnutrition.
“We are immediately responding and cannot allow a secondary disaster to happen due to the lack of food and clean water, the essentials that are needed to save lives at this critical time.
“Unfortunately, we are once again seeing the devastating impacts of climate change and it is those who are least responsible for the climate crisis who are bearing the brunt of these emergencies.”
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