By Ruma Paul
DHAKA (Reuters) -At the least 20 individuals have died and greater than 5.2 million have been affected in Bangladesh by floods attributable to relentless monsoon rains and overflowing rivers, officers mentioned on Sunday.
The floodwaters have left many individuals remoted and in pressing want of meals, clear water, medication, and dry garments, notably in distant areas the place blocked roads have hampered rescue and aid efforts.
Authorities Chief Adviser Mohammad Yunus mentioned in a televised tackle that the administration has adopted all essential measures to make sure a swift return to normality for flood victims.
Yunus, a Nobel Peace Prize winner, is main the interim authorities that was sworn in after former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina fled the nation following a student-led rebellion this month.
Abdul Halim, a 65-year-old farmer from a village within the Comilla district, mentioned his mud hut was swept away by a 10-foot-high surge of floodwater in the midst of the evening.
“There are no goods and no water. Barely anyone has come with the relief (aid) deep inside the villages. You have to physically go close to the main road to collect it,” he advised Reuters tv.
Some individuals in Bangladesh have alleged that the floods have been attributable to the opening of dam sluice gates in neighbouring India, an assertion New Delhi has rejected.
“We have begun discussions with neighbouring countries to prevent future flood situations,” Yunus mentioned.
The Bangladesh Meteorological Division has warned that flood circumstances may persist if the monsoon rains proceed, as water ranges are receding very slowly.
Greater than 400,000 individuals have taken refuge in round 3,500 shelters within the 11 flood-hit districts, the place practically 750 medical groups are on the bottom to supply remedy, with the military, air power, navy, and Border Guard Bangladesh helping in rescue operations, authorities mentioned.
An evaluation in 2015 by the World Financial institution Institute estimated that 3.5 million individuals in Bangladesh, one of many world’s most climate-vulnerable nations, have been prone to annual river flooding. Scientists attribute the exacerbation of such catastrophic occasions to local weather change.
“The impact of this year’s monsoon rains has been widespread and devastating,” mentioned Kabita Bose, Nation Director of Plan Worldwide Bangladesh.
“Entire communities have been completely inundated, and there are now millions of people, including children, in need of safe shelter and lifesaving humanitarian assistance,” she mentioned.
