Receding floodwater reveals diseases, food and water crisis

Kariman Begum in flood-hit Kharjanir Char in Gaibandha was sitting on a banana tree raft in front of her house hoping to get some relief.

“No one has come yet to see how we are surviving or what we are eating”, she told UNB about her ordeal.

Skin diseases caused by flood water is adding to the miseries of flood-affected people in char upazilas of Gaibandha. Water-borne diseases like diarrhoea are also a concern. Finding no other solution Kariman and her neighbours Halima, Motin Kobazzaman, Mithu Mia from the area said they are applying turmeric mixed with kerosene oil for a little relief from the constant itching.

“I can’t find a moment of sleep due to the painful itching and fear that my seven-year old son can get washed away by flood water any moment. As it happened to many other families,” said Kariman.

The authorities have claimed an adequate number of medical teams have been sent to the flood-hit region but none has yet shown up in the neighbourhood of Kariman yet

The drinking water crisis in this region is immense. “Even amid this situation of extreme crisis we have to pay boat fare to just bring drinkable water from across the river during daytime,” said Kariman.

The Brahmaputra and Ghaghot rivers in Gaibandha were flowing a bit below the danger level though some others were receding on Sunday.

“Residents of 25 char unions including Kamarjani, Mollar Char, kapasia, Haripur, Fazlupur, Uria, Ratanpur, Phulchhari of Sundarganj, Shaghata, Phulchhari, and Gaibandha Sadar upazilas remained stranded by flood water till Thursday,” said Motiar Rahman, chairman of Kamarjani union.

“Many houses have little dry place to cook food. They are shifting their stoves to rafts and they can’t afford cooked meals three times a day. They don’t even have any toilets,” he said.

According to the authority, a total of 60 flood shelters have been opened in the district but people could take refuge in only 12 of them. For most of the centres are under water or threatened by river erosion.

“Many people are struggling with their only income source, cattle that could not be sheltered at the centres. Many have crossed the river with their cattle to save them,” said the locals.

“So far only 135 people including men, women, and children have taken shelter in the centres. However, 125 tonnes of rice, Tk 6 lakh, and another 15 lakhs for buying baby food have been allocated for the assistance of flood-affected people in Gaibandha,” said SM Foyez Uddin, district relief and rehabilitation officer.