Poor people face crisis of food, water in flood-hit areas of Bangladesh

The flood situation in Kurigram, Bogra, Gaibandha and Jamalpur worsened and the people of these districts are now facing an acute crisis of food and drinking water.

Their houses and croplands have gone under floodwater.

“We could not feed our children. Oftentimes, we go to dry land with boats in search of food,” said Nur Jahan Begum of Gobordhan village in Aditmari upazila of Lalmonirhat.

“We are eating only dry food like bread, flattened rice, puffed rice and molasses. Sometime we get cooked food from relatives in the flood free area,” said Nabirul Islam at Char Kharuya village in Lalmonirhat Sadar Upazila.

Many villagers are selling off their domestic animals at lower prices as there is an acute crisis of fodder in the flood-hit areas. All the grasslands around the villages have been damaged by flood.

“The grazing field went under water. We are selling our domestic animals at a lower price as we are unable to provide them with fodder,” said Rafiqul Islam of Lalmonirhat.

The Dharla river was flowing above 28 centimetres of the danger mark at Kulaghat point. The Brahmaputra, Jamuna, and Bangalee also were flowing above the danger mark yesterday.

Source: The Daily Star