Bangladesh seeks international aid to battle floods

Bangladesh has sought international aid to battle floods that have devastated eastern and southeastern regions since Aug. 21, killing at least 71 people and affecting over five million others.

Disaster Management and Relief Adviser Farooq-e-Azam said donor agencies have assured cooperation in rehabilitation after assessing the damage caused by the floods.

The government sought support from the donors as it faced significant shortages of medical supplies, and emergency care for disease prevention, according to a report of Humanitarian Coordination Task Team (HCTT).

Azam held a meeting with the representatives of various UN agencies, including UN, WFP, WHO in the capital Dhaka on Tuesday.

"The work of assessing the damage at the field level is going on very fast. Donor organizations will assist in the rehabilitation of flood victims," he said.

Those killed in floods included 19 children and 7 women. The severely affected district is southeastern Fani with 28 dead people, the Disaster Management and Relief Ministry said in a statement on Tuesday.

The floods have also caused damage to tens of thousands of homes forcing people to take shelter in camps set up by the government. Farmland and fish enclosures have also been destroyed.

Relief and rescue missions are going on to save the affected people.

Türkiye has also sent aid and is distributing some 16,750 aid packages among the affected people.

UNICEF said that over two million children in eastern Bangladesh are at risk as floods sweep through homes, schools and villages. In all, these floods, the worst in eastern Bangladesh in 34 years, have affected 5.6 million people.

Bangladeshi authorities have also said that water levels in the Gumti and Muhuri rivers that flow through the region have surged following the opening of a sluice gate at Dumber Lake in Tripura, India.

Earlier, Bangladesh had accused India of releasing water from its rivers without prior notice to Dhaka. However, New Delhi has denied releasing water from dams.

Dhaka has proposed a joint body with New Delhi to share prior information regarding the release of waters as the two neighboring nations share the waters of at least 54 rivers, with the upstream portions located in India.