A joint mission of the United Nations headed by UN Resident Coordinator Gwyn Lewis is currently visiting the flood-affected Sylhet and Sunamganj districts.
The mission visited different areas in Birgaon union under Sunamganj’s Shantiganj upazila on Saturday. They will be visiting Sylhet’s Gowainghat upazila on Sunday.
The mission attended a press conference at Sylhet city’s Grand Sylhet Hotel and Resort on Saturday evening, where Lewis said that around 72 lakh people from nine districts of the country’s north-eastern region have been affected by severe flooding this year.
“Sylhet, Sunamganj, Moulvibazar, Habiganj and Netrakona districts are the worst-affected areas. Around five lakh people are currently living in shelter homes, among whom a majority have lost their homes to the flooding. Women and girls in particular are facing huge risks at these shelters,” said Lewis.
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Fearing that more flooding can happen in the coming days, the joint mission said that a Needs Assessment Group headed by the Department of Disaster Management (DDM) and CARE has already started to work to mitigate the losses caused by the ongoing flooding.
The group will assess the losses caused by flooding and identify immediate and short-term needs, said the mission.
UNFPA Representative Kristine Blokus, UNICEF Representative Sheldon Yett, Development Director of British High Commission Matt Cannell, European Commission Representative Isabella D’Haudt and Country Manager of START Fund Sajid Rayhan, among others, spoke at the press conference.
