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Floods in Bangladesh caused by continued monsoon rains and overflowing rivers have killed at least 20 people and affected more than 5.2 million people, officials said on Sunday.
The floods have left many people isolated and in urgent need of food, clean water, medicine and dry clothing, especially in remote areas where blocked roads have hampered rescue and relief efforts.
In a televised address, the government’s chief adviser, Muhammad Yunus, said the government had taken all necessary measures to ensure that flood victims could quickly return to normal life.
The interim government led by Nobel Peace Prize winner Yunus was sworn in after former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina fled the country following a student uprising this month.
Abdul Halim, a 65-year-old farmer from a village in Comilla district, said his mud house was washed away by 10-foot-high floodwaters at midnight.
“There are no supplies and no water. Almost no one is delivering relief supplies deep into the village. You have to physically go near the main road to get water,” he told Reuters TV.
Some in Bangladesh claim floods were caused by dam opening sluice But New Delhi denied the claim.
“We have already started discussions with neighbouring countries on how to prevent future flooding,” Yunus said.
Bangladesh’s meteorological department warned that flood conditions are likely to persist if monsoon rains continue as water levels are receding very slowly.
Authorities said more than 400,000 people were taking shelter in about 3,500 shelters in 11 flood-affected districts, with nearly 750 medical teams providing treatment on the ground, and the army, air force, navy and Bangladesh Border Guard also assisting in rescue operations.
A 2015 analysis by the World Bank Institute estimated that Bangladesh is one of the most climate-vulnerable countries in the world, with 3.5 million people at risk of river flooding each year. Scientists attribute the increase in such disasters to Climate Change.
“The impact of this year’s monsoon rains has been widespread and extremely devastating,” said Kabita Bose, Plan International’s country director for Bangladesh.
“Entire communities have been inundated and millions of people, including children, now need safe shelter and life-saving humanitarian assistance,” she said.
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