Deadly floods claim 23 lives, affect 5.7m people in Bangladesh

At least 23 people were killed while 5.7 million people have been affected by deadly floods triggered by continuous monsoon rainfall and overflowing rivers in Bangladesh, according to officials on Monday.

Many of the people affected by the receding floodwaters are now isolated and urgently require food, clean water, medicine, and dry clothing, particularly in remote areas where blocked roads have hindered rescue and relief efforts.

Additionally, as a result of the floods, approximately 1.24 million families have been stranded across 11 districts, as per officials.

The Bangladesh Meteorological Department cautioned that flood conditions may persist if monsoon rains continued, as water levels were receding very slowly.

Around 470,000 people have taken refuge in 3,500 shelters in the flood-hit districts, where around 650 medical teams are on the ground to provide treatment, with the army, air force, navy, and the South Asian country's border guard assisting in rescue and relief operations, authorities said.

Meanwhile, agricultural ministry in the South Asian country have expressed concerns about significant crop damage due to extensive submerged land areas if the floodwaters linger for an extended duration.

An analysis in 2015 by the World Bank Institute estimated that 3.5 million people in Bangladesh, one of the world's most climate-vulnerable countries, were at risk of annual river flooding. Scientists attribute the exacerbation of such catastrophic events to climate change.

"Countries like Bangladesh with negligible emissions and whose people have shown super resilience deserve immediate funds to address the impacts of climate change and frequent disasters," said Farah Kabir, director of ActionAid Bangladesh.

"We need to recover from the losses and damage we have faced, as well as build resilience to future impacts and take on green development pathways."

In one of the worst-hit districts, Noakhali, 56-year-old Shukuri Begum lost her home as it was swept into a pond by the floodwaters, according to ActionAid. Terrified, she fled with her grandchildren to a neighbour's house, but couldn't stay there long as it was no longer safe.

"I have a son with physical disabilities, and we couldn’t bring him with us. We had to stack beds and leave him on top, hoping he would be safe. I don’t know what’s waiting for us," ActionAid quoted her as saying.