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Millions impacted by ‘catastrophic and massive floods’ in Bangladesh

Recent “catastrophic and massive floods” in Bangladesh have affected millions of people across the country, including those in Cox’s Bazar where nearly one million Rohingya refugees from Myanmar live alongside host communities, spokesperson William Spindler told journalists in Geneva on Friday. 

The destruction has prompted the UN refugee agency (UNHCR) to rush humanitarian relief items from its stockpiles in the country to help those in need.

Over 18 million people in Bangladesh have been affected by these severe monsoon conditions, with more than 1.2 million families trapped as flash floods submerge vast areas of the country’s east and southeast.

Massive damage has also been reported to roads, croplands, and fisheries, severely impacting livelihoods.

Urgent humanitarian response

UNHCR is providing core relief items and other humanitarian support to help address the most immediate needs of the local communities in the region, including shelter and health.

They have transported medical supplies to health clinics in the worst affected district of Feni and Comilla including 350,000 water purification tablets, 20,000 jerry cans, 15,000 hygiene kits, and 10,000 emergency shelters among other items.

These supplies are aimed at helping local authorities fight the spread of waterborne diseases and ensure the availability of clean drinking water.

Support for Rohingya

The continuous heavy rains of the monsoon season have also resulted in flash floods and landslides in the Rohingya refugee camps.

The predominantly Muslim Rohingya minority suffered horrific violence at the hands of the country’s security forces in 2017, prompting the exodus of hundreds of thousands into Bangladesh.

Around one million Rohingya are still sheltering in Bangladesh today and over 130,000 more have sought safe haven across the region without immediate prospects for return to Myanmar.

Rohingya rights must be upheld: Yunus

Amid such vulnerability, Mr. Spindler has pledged assistance for the Rohingya people, stating that “UNHCR and its partners are working around the clock to support affected Rohingya refugees”.

Bangladesh’s interim Prime Minister Muhammad Yunus has also reiterated the need for “sustained efforts of the international community for Rohingya humanitarian operations and their eventual repatriation to their homeland, Myanmar, with safety, dignity and full rights” in his first policy speech. 

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