Description of the crisis
Flood Impact in May 2022 In May 2022, due to continuous rains in India’s Meghalaya district and the onrush of upstream hilly waters, low-lying areas of Sylhet and Sunamganj districts of Bangladesh, including the cities, were inundated. According to the national "Need Assessment Working Group (NAWG)" situation analysis report dated 21 May 2022, approximately 2 million people were affected by the flood. The impact extended to about 1,137 hectares of agricultural land and 205 square kilometers of flooded area.
Additionally, around 150,000 families in Sylhet and Sunamganj were left without power for several days starting from 17 May 2022 due to the submergence of power stations. The flood also forced the closure of more than 873 educational institutions, predominantly government primary schools.
The Department of Agricultural Extension's district office estimated significant damage to seedbeds in 1,421 hectares, Boro crops in 1,704 hectares, and summer vegetables in 13,340 hectares. Furthermore, according to the Department of Public Health Engineering (DPHE) report dated 19 May 2022, 370 tube-wells and 3,659 toilets were affected.
Worst Flooding in June 2022
Later, in June 2022, torrential and incessant downpours from the upstream region caused the most severe flooding in living memory in the northeastern districts of Bangladesh. The Flood Forecasting and Warning Center (FFWC) reported that Cherrapunji, a sub-divisional town in the Northeastern Indian state of Meghalaya, recorded its third- highest rainfall in 122 years on 16 June 2022. This record rainfall triggered a devastating flash flood in the northeastern part of Bangladesh. The FFWC's data revealed that around 94 percent of Sunamganj and over 84 percent of Sylhet were submerged by this flood.
Over 7.2 million people were affected, and hundreds of thousands of households were isolated by floodwaters. Some families sought refuge in open areas, their neighbors' houses, higher ground, or designated flood shelters. The Ministry of Disaster Management and Relief (MoDMR) of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh reported that an estimated 481,827 people had been evacuated to shelters through a combined effort by the Army, Navy, Fire Services, and local authorities. This flood had a disproportionately high impact on socially vulnerable and marginalized population groups, particularly women, adolescent girls, children, and people with disabilities (PWDs).