Floods caused by heavy rain, hill runoff and landslides have inundated 58 upazilas in seven districts of the country. So far 1,022,963 people have been affected and 267,918 families marooned, while 51 people have died and 39 have been injured in the disaster.
The figures were given in an updated report by the Disaster Management and Relief Ministry as of 12:30 p.m. on Sunday (July 12).
The ministry’s senior information officer, Mohammad Mahbubur Rahman, said various areas of Khagrachhari, Rangamati, Bandarban, Cox’s Bazar, Chattogram, Moulvibazar and Habiganj districts had been hit by floods. In these districts, 386 unions and 11 municipalities have been affected by heavy rain, hill runoff, waterlogging and landslides.
Cox’s Bazar hardest hit for deaths. According to the ministry’s report, the most deaths occurred in Cox’s Bazar district, where 28 people died. Of the dead, 15 were local residents and 13 were Rohingya. The district also had 24 injured, of whom 19 were local and five Rohingya, with one person missing.
In Chattogram, 13 people died in the floods and 12 were injured. In Bandarban, six were killed and two injured. Three people died in Rangamati and one in Moulvibazar, while one injury was reported in Khagrachhari. No casualties have so far been reported in Habiganj.
The report said the most people were affected in Chattogram, where the number of affected people is 595,000 and marooned families 147,500. In addition, 158,027 people were affected in Cox’s Bazar, 34,417 in Khagrachhari, 28,140 in Habiganj, 26,544 in Moulvibazar, 8,350 in Bandarban and 3,524 in Rangamati.
More than 44,000 in shelters. To provide safe shelter to people affected by the floods and hill runoff, 1,131 shelters have been opened in the seven districts, where 44,457 people have taken refuge so far. The most shelters, 618, were opened in Chattogram, housing 21,900 people. In Bandarban, 6,250 people are staying in 220 centers, 3,637 in 50 centers in Rangamati and 2,883 in 150 centers in Khagrachhari. In addition, 2,172 people have taken shelter in 20 centers in Moulvibazar and 1,580 in 27 centers in Cox’s Bazar. Two shelters were opened in Habiganj, but the number of people sheltered there was not given.
Tk 1.75 crore and rice allocated. The Disaster Management and Relief Ministry said a total of Tk 1.75 crore and 3,250 metric tons of rice had been allocated for the seven flood-affected districts from July 7 to 12. Of this, Tk 65 lakh and 1,200 metric tons of rice were given for Chattogram, Tk 30 lakh and 450 metric tons for Cox’s Bazar, Tk 25 lakh and 500 metric tons for Rangamati and Tk 20 lakh and 400 metric tons for Khagrachhari. In addition, Tk 20 lakh and 400 metric tons of rice were given for Bandarban, Tk 10 lakh and 200 metric tons for Moulvibazar and Tk 5 lakh and 100 metric tons for Habiganj. Over the same period, the ministry released Tk 4.60 crore and 8,950 metric tons of rice as general and disaster-time support for the country’s 64 districts.
Relief distribution under way. According to ministry data, 710 metric tons of rice, Tk 60 lakh, 39,250 packets of dry food and 15,100 packets of cooked food were distributed in Chattogram. In Bandarban, 68 metric tons of rice, Tk 2.40 lakh, 235 packets of baby food and 2,953 packets of cooked and dry food were provided, along with a further 1,845 packets of dry food distributed by various private organizations. In Moulvibazar, 1,750 packets of dry food, 110 metric tons of rice and Tk 5 lakh were distributed, and in Habiganj 10 metric tons of rice, Tk 1.20 lakh and 1,417 packets of dry food.
The ministry said rescue, shelter and relief operations were continuing with the coordination of local administrations, the army, volunteer organizations and various agencies, and that more relief would be allocated as needed given the situation.
বাংলায় মূল প্রতিবেদন পড়ুন · Read the original Bengali report