Bangladesh experienced flooding in May and then again in August – when the country experienced its heaviest rainfall in nearly four decades.
Following 72 hours of monsoon rains in south-eastern Bangladesh and upstream in Tripura, India, flooding peaked on 22 August. Without prior warning, authorities in Tripura made an abrupt decision to open a sluice gate of the Dumboor Reservoir, releasing a large volume of water downstream through the transboundary Gomti River. This caused severe flooding in 12 districts in Bangladesh.
A staggering 5.8 million people were affected, roads were destroyed, highways and crop fields were submerged, and embankments and bridges were damaged.
Because some of the hardest hit areas rarely experience disasters of this magnitude, most people were not at all prepared, with the poorest households disproportionately affected by this crisis.
Rescue and relief efforts – particularly in remote areas – were significantly hindered by blocked roads. Several villages went without food and clean drinking water for days, with many people also suffering from diarrhoea and waterborne health issues.
Seventy-one people were killed and 500,000 more were displaced by this crisis.
Islamic Relief has worked in Bangladesh since 1991 and, with your support, we have been able to respond to this crisis comprehensively and compassionately.
We were at the forefront of emergency response efforts in some of the worst flood-affected districts. We mobilised R39.5 million to fund the distribution of essential food supplies, fodder, multipurpose cash grants, and hygiene kits to communities in Feni and Cumilla, with special attention given to elderly people, people with disabilities, widows, pregnant women, and women-headed households.
An additional 4,593 households will also receive multipurpose cash grants, hygiene and dignity kits.
Field observations and household surveys conducted during our ongoing flood response revealed that approximately 20% of flood-affected homes belonged to marginalised groups. These – primarily mud-built structures – were completely destroyed. These households urgently need integrated water, sanitation and hygiene, shelter and livelihood restoration as part of the early recovery phase.
Initially, our goal is to assist 51,452 of these households, or 221,135 individuals, in the districts of Feni, Cumilla and Noakhali.
In addition to our emergency and early recovery response efforts, Islamic Relief is also committed to helping to rebuild and strengthen community resilience, and facilitate sustainable pathways out of poverty for flood-affected communities.