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SITUATION ANALYSIS
Description of the crisis
Since mid-June 2024, severe flooding has affected 14.6 million people across northern, northeastern, and southeastern Bangladesh, displacing millions and causing widespread damage. The situation worsened in mid-July 2024 due to a governmental transition, impacting communication, access, and security. Heavy rainfall and upstream water inflows from Nepal and India led to extensive flooding in districts like Bogura, Gaibandha, Jamalpur, Kurigram, Lalmonirhat, Munshiganj, Sirajganj, and Tangail, affecting 5.13 million people, including 2.61 million women, 1.51 million children, and 0.53 million elderly individuals, according to Needs Assessment Working Group (NAWG) report.
At the peak of the flooding, 723,331 people were displaced, including 599,767 who sought shelter in evacuation centres, while 123,564 took refuge along roads and embankments. The floods caused widespread hardship across affected regions, disrupting access to clean water, food, shelter, and healthcare. Immediate needs include water purification tablets, hygiene kits, and restoration of water and sanitation systems to prevent disease outbreaks. With economic activities halted, urgent food distribution and agricultural support are essential to address food insecurity, prevent livelihood collapse, and close consumption gaps.
Shelter remains a critical concern, with urgent needs for cash assistance, shelter repair materials, and household essentials such as tents, tarpaulins, kitchen sets, and clothing. Health services have been severely disrupted, requiring rapid deployment of medical teams, supplies, and boats to restore access, particularly in remote areas. The psychological toll on affected populations further highlights the need for psychosocial support and mental health services.
Protection services are urgently required to address growing gender-based violence (GBV) risks. Overcrowded shelters, damaged homes, lack of lighting and privacy, and limited reporting channels have left women, girls, children, people with disabilities, and gender-diverse groups increasingly vulnerable. According to the NAWG’s third Situation Overview (31 August 2024), 282,968 people need GBV response and risk mitigation services. Adolescent girls, out of school for extended periods, face heightened risks of early marriage and trafficking. Immediate priorities include distributing dignity kits, establishing safe spaces, disseminating GBV referral information, and providing psychosocial support.
In southeastern Bangladesh, further flooding from heavy monsoon rains and a low-pressure system between late August and mid-September 2024 affected 5.82 million people in 11 districts, with 71 deaths reported. The floods submerged 311,419 hectares of land, destroyed 6,542 km of roads and 1,066 bridges and culverts, and disrupted transport networks. Economic losses include USD 34 million in livestock and USD 121.6 million in fisheries. More than 7,000 schools were forced to close, disrupting education for 175,000 students, while waterborne disease outbreaks, such as diarrhoea, continue to escalate.
Bangladesh’s vulnerability to recurrent flooding remains high due to its low-lying geography and exposure to monsoon rains and tropical cyclones. Climate change is intensifying these threats, increasing the frequency and severity of floods, droughts, storm surges, and river erosion.