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Bangladesh: Floods - Aug 2014

Disaster description

Since 13 Aug 2014, continuous rainfall in north and northeastern Bangladesh, together with the onrush of water from upstream, have caused flash floods in low-lying and densely populated areas. More than 800,000 people have been affected, including 500,000 displaced. As of 25 Aug, humanitarian actors on the ground report nine deaths. The most affected districts include Nilphamari, Lalmonirhat, Kurigram, Rangpur, Gaibandha, Jamalpur, Sirajganj, Sunamjong and Sylhet. (ACAPS, 27 Aug 2014)

By 1 Sep, the number of affected people had increased to 2.8 million. Among these, more than 57,000 families (275,000 people) are displaced, including more than 31,000 families (150,000 people) whose homes have been totally inundated and destroyed. A total of 99 floods shelters are active in the affected districts, housing some of the displaced population while others have settled in along elevated roads and with host families. (IFRC, 3 Sep 2014)

Since 19 Sep, additional flooding has hit several districts in the country affecting 400,000 more people. Flash floods triggered by heavy rain and water from upstream hill areas across the border inundated vast areas in Bogra and Kurigram districts, while the Jamalpur town protection embankment developed a breach under pressure of rainwater. The heavy currents of flash floods gushing from Meghalaya of India have caused rapid inundation of Netrokona. Widespread flooding has also hit Lalmonirhat, Gaibandha, Naogaon, Brahmanbaria, and Mymensing leaving hundreds of thousands marooned, damaging houses, roads and embankments. Farmers who had replanted Aman paddy after the water started receding have lost their crops for the second time as more than 10,000 acres of crops were inundated. More than six hundred schools in the affected districts remain closed. (IFRC, 20 Oct 2014)

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