Bangladesh Floods: 71 Lives Lost, Millions Stranded, and Disease Threats Rise
Severe floods in Bangladesh have claimed 71 lives and left millions stranded. Triggered by heavy monsoon rains and runoff from upstream rivers, the floods have affected around five million people. Over 580,000 families are marooned in 11 severely affected districts, urgently needing food, clean water, medicine, and dry clothing.
Relief efforts are being ramped up with nearly 500 medical teams deployed. The army, air force, navy, and border guards are actively involved in reaching those in need. The focus is now on preventing the spread of waterborne diseases, with nearly 5,000 new hospitalizations reported in the past 24 hours due to diarrhoea, skin infections, and snake bites.
In Dhaka, heavy rains have caused roads to become submerged, leading to significant traffic jams and complicating relief efforts. Preliminary assessments indicate that crops worth approximately 33.5 billion taka (USD 282 million) have been destroyed, severely impacting over 1.4 million farmers.
UNICEF has launched an urgent appeal for USD 35 million to provide critical supplies and support to the two million children who are particularly vulnerable. Emma Brigham, Deputy Representative of UNICEF Bangladesh, emphasized the profound impact of climate change on children’s lives, stating that recurring floods, heatwaves, and cyclones are increasingly devastating their futures.
The situation remains critical as Bangladesh battles one of its worst flood crises in recent history.
Doubts Revealed
Bangladesh -: Bangladesh is a country in South Asia, located to the east of India. It is known for its rivers and is prone to flooding, especially during the monsoon season.
Floods -: Floods happen when there is too much water, usually from heavy rain, and it covers the land. This can cause a lot of damage to homes, roads, and can be dangerous for people.
Monsoon rains -: Monsoon rains are heavy rains that happen during a specific season, usually from June to September in South Asia. These rains are important for farming but can also cause floods.
Stranded -: Stranded means being stuck in a place and unable to leave. In this case, millions of people in Bangladesh can’t move because of the floodwaters.
Waterborne diseases -: Waterborne diseases are illnesses that spread through dirty water. Examples include cholera and diarrhea, which can be very dangerous, especially for children.
UNICEF -: UNICEF stands for the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund. It helps children around the world by providing food, education, and medical care.
USD 35 million appeal -: This means UNICEF is asking for 35 million US dollars from people and organizations to help children affected by the floods in Bangladesh.
Relief efforts -: Relief efforts are actions taken to help people in need during emergencies, like providing food, water, and medical care. In this case, the army, air force, navy, and border guards are helping.
