Floods in Bangladesh: Over 1.1m families remain waterlogged

Houses located beside the Padma river are seen flooded as the flood situation worsens in Munshiganj district, on the outskirts of Dhaka, outskirts of Dhaka, Bangladesh, 25 July 2020.
Houses located beside the Padma river are seen flooded as the flood situation worsens in Munshiganj district, on the outskirts of Dhaka, outskirts of Dhaka, Bangladesh, 25 July 2020.Reuters file photo

Around 1.114 million families have been affected and remain waterlogged, while 135 lives have so far been lost in the country’s current bout of flooding that set in during the last week of June.

A daily bulletin of the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) confirmed Sunday that the death toll from the ongoing flood – already the longest-lasting since 1998 -remained at 135, with no new deaths (due to flood) recorded in the preceding 24 hours, reports news agency UNB.

Besides, the disaster management and relief ministry in a press release said that around 1.114 million families have been marooned and an estimated 5.44 million have been adversely affected by flood hazards in 33 districts.

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Among the deceased, 29 died in Jamalpur, 22 in Kurigram, 20 in Tangail and 12 in Gaibandha and Lalmonirhat, 11 in Sirajganj, 10 in Manikganj, 5 in Netrakona, 3 in Rangpur, two in Gopalganj, Naogaon, Sunamganj, Nilphamari, one in Rajbari, Shariatpur, Munshiganj, according to DGHS.

Government prepared 1,525 shelters in flood -affected districts.

A total of 159 upazilas across the country have been affected in the flood that set in during the last week of June, and is yet to subside fully.

People in Kurigram, Gaibandha, Sunamganj, Sirajganj, Tangail, Faridpur and Naogaon were the worst sufferers from the deluge.

The disaster management and relief ministry has allocated a total of 14,410 metric tonnes of rice for flood affected people and so far distributed 9,221 tonnes among them in 33 districts.

According to deputy commissions reports from flood affected districts around Tk 22. million has been distributed among the allocated Tk 34.4 million until 1 August.

The ministry also allocated Tk 11 million for child food supplements and so far distributed Tk 6.254 million.