August 16, 2017: An estimated 1.7 million people in 20 districts of Bangladesh have been affected by flooding (1); the second round of monsoon floods to hit the country this year. As of 14 August, 89 people are known to have died, including at least 14 people in the last 24 hours (2).
According to the Ministry of Disaster Management and Relief (MoDMR), 1,330 shelters in flood-affected areas are currently sheltering more than 322,000 people.
An estimated 1,000 schools in Districts of Lalmonirhat, Panchagarh, Nilphamari, Kurigram, Gaibandha, Bogra, Jamalpur, Tangail, Sunamganj and Sylhet have closed because they have been flooded or are being used as temporary shelters. An estimated 110,400 hectors of cultivated land have been affected. According to the Department of Public Health Department (DPHE) in Kurigram District alone, a total of 12,719 tube-wells have been submerged. An estimated 110,400 hectors of cultivated land have also been affected.
The United Nations is coordinating with Government to monitor the levels of flooding in the eastern, southern and northern regions. Areas in the northern regions were inundated when flood-protection embankments were breached in Saidpur of Nilphamari, Lalmonirhat, Dinajpur, Kurigram, Rajshahi and Badarganj of Rangpur. According to the Bangladesh Flood Forecast and Warning Centre (FFWC) 21 rivers are flowing above the danger level, and the waters of the Brahmaputra-Jamuna and Ganges-Padma Rivers are still rising. Access to affected areas is restricted with the railway in the north currently inoperable because of flooding, and the runway at Saidpur airport at risk of being submerged.
Affected communities require temporary shelters, access to food and safe drinking water, as well as emergency medical services. The government has allocated 6.8 million BDT (USD $ 0.09 million) and 2,991 MT of rice to flood-affected districts, while 1,219 local medical teams have been deployed to the flood affected districts to address emerging health problems.
A joint Humanitarian Coordination Team, including UN agencies, Government and civil society, is monitoring the situation. The UN is discussing possible support to complement ongoing Government efforts.
For more information, contact: Kazi Shahidur Rahman, Humanitarian Affairs Specialist, shahidur.rahman@one.un.org
(1) Ministry of Disaster Management and Relief (MoDMR)
(2) National Health Crises Management Centre (NHCMC) of Director General of Health Service (DGHS) control room