Attachments
Summary of operation update:
This operation update is issued mainly to inform about the progress of operation covering the period of 18 July 2019 until 31 January 2020. The planned response actions reflect the current situation and information available at this time of the operation. Details on the planned activities are available in the Emergency Plan of Action (EPoA) issued on 16 September 2019.
As of this reporting period, the operation has reached a total of 31,250 people in shelter; 73,291 people in livelihoods and basic needs; 254,480 people in health and 81,016 people in water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) activities. The disaster risk reduction (DRR) activities have been planned for the recovery phase and depending on funding coverage, the activities will be adjusted and carried out accordingly.
The EA is only 38 per cent funded which left some key sectoral areas of activities with significant funding gaps due to budget limitations. BDRCS finished the emergency support in January 2020 and currently going into the recovery activities. As such, due to this funding gap, the recovery activities may reach less number of people than the initial target. “The IFRC kindly encourages increased donor support to this EA that will enable the National Society to continue to contribute to the humanitarian needs of the affected people through the recovery and DRR activities.
A. SITUATION ANALYSIS
Description of the disaster
The heavy rainfall occurred during July to September 2019 across Bangladesh led to landslides and extreme flooding.
The impacts were much larger in scale than an average annual monsoon flood as it affected millions of lives. According to the National Needs Assessment Working Group (NAWG), Bangladesh situation report dated 28 July 2019, more than 7.6 million people were affected in 28 districts, over 300,000 people displaced, approximately 600,000 houses damaged, and 114 people dead. On top of that, according to the media, about 532,000 hectares of crops were destroyed1 . It was also reported that embankments were damaged and inundated. With the flood prevailing over one fourth areas of the country in July 2019, Government and Non-Government humanitarian agencies supported the affected community immediately after the flood to meet the emergency needs.
In addition, Bangladesh experienced another spell of flood in north-eastern districts named Rajshahi, Shariatpur,
Kushtia, Rajbari, Chapai Nawabganj, Pabna and Natore during the first week of October 2019, which affected some new areas. Due to this second spell of flood, around 40,000 people were affected according to the NAWG.
While more than half of the country experiencing the sufferings from monsoon floods, the Dengue situation in the country reached at peak transmission during June to October 2019, with hospitals overflowing with patients and the rising number, dengue has broken all previous record. The Institute of Epidemiology, Disease Control and Research (IEDCR) of Government of Bangladesh (GoB) has received 266 reports of dengue-related deaths and after reviewed it has confirmed 148 deaths till December 2019.
During December 2019 and January 2020, the country experienced several cold waves over different districts of Chuadanga, Dinajpur, Panchagarh, Rajshahi, Pabna, Naogaon, Nilphamari, Jessore, Bogura, Lalmonirhat, Nilphamari, Gaibandha, Kurigram, Sirajganj, Tangail, Jamalpur, etc, disrupting normal life and causing suffering to the people. This cold wave also affected same areas, especially in the districts of Kurigram, Gaibandha, Lalmonirhat, Bogura, Nilphamari, Sirajganj, Jamalpur, Tangail that were struck by floods and further exacerbating the humanitarian situation. The country experienced the lowest temperature of 4.5 degree Celsius on 30 December 2019, in general, this may not seem particularly low, but Bangladesh is a tropical country, where people are not prepared for cold weather and most homes have no form of heating.