Unicef reports that more than 2 million individuals, including 772,000 children, require immediate aid as a result of the devastating flash floods in the north-eastern region of Bangladesh. “The rivers are experiencing hazardous levels of water flow, and the condition is anticipated to deteriorate within the next 24 to 48 hours,” cautioned Sheldon Yett, the Unicef Representative in Bangladesh.
Children face an increased susceptibility to drowning, starvation, waterborne illnesses, trauma from being displaced, and the possibility of abuse in overcrowded shelters. Unicef is giving the highest importance to ensuring the safety and well-being of people by supplying safe water to more than 100,000 individuals for a duration of five days, as well as distributing over 3,000 water containers with a capacity of ten litres each.
More than 810 government schools in Sylhet are currently inundated, with around 500 of them being utilised as shelters. Furthermore, a total of 140 community clinics are affected. Unicef’s Child Protection Social Workers are actively reducing violence and providing trauma counselling to children who have been harmed.
Unicef is collaborating with the Bangladesh government and local stakeholders to distribute emergency supplies and provide assistance to the impacted people.
“We have significant concerns regarding the ongoing flood situation and are making relentless efforts to guarantee the safety and welfare of children and adolescents,” stated Yett.