Bangladesh floods: 18 million people affected, 1.2 million families stranded

Bangladesh is grappling with a devastating monsoon that has affected more than 18 million people and left over 1.2 million families stranded, according to the United Nations.

“More than 18 million people in Bangladesh have been affected by severe monsoon conditions, and over 1.2 million families are trapped due to flooding across vast areas of the country’s east and southeast,” the UN News Service said in a post shared on X.

UNICEF said the worst-affected areas in the country included Chittagong and Sylhet, where major rivers were “flowing well above danger levels”, making the situation even more severe.

Flooding in Bangladesh has taken a heavy toll on people. According to initial estimates, five million people – including two million children – have been affected, and many are stranded without food and relief.

UNICEF said 20 people had died as of Tuesday and more than 285,000 people had taken refuge in more than 3,500 shelters. Roads, crops and fisheries have also been severely damaged, seriously impacting livelihoods.

Government-led search and rescue operations continue, with some areas remaining difficult to reach. In some locations, UN partners have reported that water levels are not expected to recede for at least a week, posing a risk of continued flooding and the spread of water-borne and vector-borne diseases.

It is noteworthy that on August 25, electricity was partially restored in Bangladesh’s Feni after floodwaters receded significantly, as reported by the Dhaka Tribune.

Residents said water has completely drained out from Mohipal Road and electricity is available in parts of Feni town, including the DC office and its surrounding areas.

“The water level has receded in the municipal area. But I heard that other areas are still submerged,” Mohammad Riazul Hasan, a resident of Feni town, told the Dhaka Tribune.

Riazul said that the canals in the lower area of ​​Sonagazi are overflowing.

Rescue volunteers developed foot fungus due to prolonged stay in the water. “We tried to reach Sonagazi on Friday. But we failed because we did not have a speedboat,” the Dhaka Tribune quoted Abdullah Al Mamun, a volunteer in Feni, as saying.

Mamun said power cuts and mobile network failure caused communication difficulties, which hampered rescue operations.

According to the Dhaka Tribune, Bangladesh Chief Advisor Muhammad Yunus on August 24 urged all parties to cooperate to deal with health and food risks once the floodwaters recede.

The flood situation in Chittagong worsened on August 22, with nine upazilas inundated and 45,916 families, comprising 248,050 people, facing severe distress, Dhaka Tribune reported.

Chittagong District Relief and Rehabilitation Officer Saifullah Majumder said 800 tonnes of rice has been allocated for disaster relief, of which 200 tonnes have been distributed in the affected areas.

More than 3.5 lakh people were stranded due to floods in Feni town between August 19-21 as water entered the city through cracks, Dhaka Tribune reported.