Bangladesh floods leave 71 dead, fears of waterborne disease rise
The death toll from the severe flooding in Bangladesh has climbed to 71 as of Tuesday, with millions still trapped in affected regions. The catastrophic floods, caused by relentless monsoon rains and upstream runoff, have led to widespread devastation over the past two weeks, impacting approximately five million people.
Authorities report that over 580,000 families remain stranded across 11 flood-affected districts. Immediate relief efforts are underway, with nearly 500 medical teams deployed and support from the army, air force, navy, and border guards. The focus is now on preventing waterborne diseases as the floodwaters begin to recede. The Directorate General of Health Services has noted that nearly 5,000 people were hospitalized in the past 24 hours due to diarrhea, skin infections, and snake bites.
In the capital city Dhaka, heavy rainfall on Tuesday has further exacerbated the situation, inundating roads and causing severe traffic disruptions. Many areas are submerged under knee-deep to waist-high water, hampering relief efforts and daily commutes.
The flooding has also had a significant impact on agriculture, with preliminary assessments indicating that crops worth 33.5 billion taka ($282 million) have been destroyed. This has affected more than 1.4 million farmers.
The World Bank Institute’s 2015 analysis highlighted that 3.5 million people in Bangladesh were at risk from annual river flooding, a threat that has intensified with climate change. The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has reported that two million children are at risk due to the severe flooding, the worst in three decades. UNICEF has issued an urgent appeal for $35 million to provide essential supplies and support to affected communities.
“Year after year, the lives of millions of children in Bangladesh are being devastated by floods, heatwaves, and cyclones. Climate change is clearly altering children’s lives,” stated Emma Brigham, Deputy Representative of UNICEF Bangladesh.
As the country grapples with the aftermath of this disaster, efforts to provide aid and mitigate further health risks are critical to alleviating the suffering of those affected.
