DHAKA – The death toll from the recent floods in Bangladesh has risen to 71, with millions still stranded in devastated areas as concerns mount over the potential outbreak of waterborne diseases.
The floods, caused by relentless monsoon rains and runoff from upstream rivers, have wreaked havoc over the past two weeks, affecting around five million people across 11 districts. The inundation has led to widespread destruction, leaving more than 580,000 families marooned and in dire need of food, clean water, medicine, and dry clothing.
As the floodwaters begin to recede, authorities are shifting their focus to preventing the spread of waterborne diseases, which commonly follow such natural disasters. Nearly 500 medical teams have been deployed to provide treatment, with the army, air force, navy, and border guards assisting in the ongoing relief efforts.
The Directorate General of Health Services reported that nearly 5,000 people have been hospitalized in the past 24 hours due to cases of diarrhea, skin infections, and snake bites—conditions exacerbated by the floodwaters.
In the capital, Dhaka, heavy rain on September 3 caused significant flooding, submerging roads in knee-deep to waist-high water and leading to massive traffic jams as vehicles struggled through the waterlogged streets.
The agricultural sector has been severely impacted, with crops worth approximately US$282 million (S$369 million) destroyed, affecting more than 1.4 million farmers, according to a preliminary assessment by the agriculture ministry.
A 2015 analysis by the World Bank Institute estimated that 3.5 million people in Bangladesh are at risk of annual river flooding—a number that has only increased in recent years due to the effects of climate change. The current floods are the most severe the country has experienced in three decades.
The United Nations Children’s Fund (Unicef) has launched an urgent appeal for US$35 million to provide essential supplies to those affected, particularly the estimated two million children who are at risk.
“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,” said Ms. Emma Brigham, deputy representative of Unicef Bangladesh, highlighting the urgent need for support as the country grapples with the aftermath of the disaster.