DHAKA, 19 June 2024 - Just as Bangladesh recovers from Cyclone Remal, which impacted 4.6 million people and destroyed 35,000 houses, the northeastern region has been hit by flash flooding. 1.25 million people have been affected, with more than 30,000 people seeking shelter, according to early estimates. The situation is predicted to worsen, with the MET department forecasting heavy rain until Friday.
Thousands of BRAC staff are on the ground, distributing dry food in low-lying slum areas and shelter centres in the worst-affected areas in Sylhet and standing by for further emergency response.
“Hundreds of thousands of people are stranded, and the situation is rapidly worsening,” said Dr Md Liakath Ali, Director, Climate Change Programme, Urban Development Programme, and Disaster Risk Management Programme, BRAC. “Our teams are seeing inundated homes, schools, crops, water points, and key connecting roads. Many families are sheltering at nearby schools. The flooding will be devastating, with southern Bangladesh still reeling from the aftermath of Cyclone Remal.”
More than 370,000 people have been affected by the flood in Sylhet, Bangladesh’s second-largest city. This is the second wave of flooding in the region in the last 20 days. Water levels surpassed danger marks at six points along four rivers in Sylhet, according to the Water Development Board. A power substation in the area is at risk, putting approximately 50,000 people at risk of losing electricity. The Government of Bangladesh has opened 619 shelters in the region.
Last month, Sylhet experienced flooding due to mountain runoff, affecting approximately 650,000 people. On 10 June, three members of a family were killed after being trapped in a collapsed house following a landslide triggered by heavy rain.