ACT Dateline

Bangladesh 02/07

Asia: Bangladesh is badly hit
By Malene Haakansson

A flooded house in Kurigram. Photo by Din Muhammad Shibly/RDRS-ACT International.

COPENHAGEN , August 16, 2007— The floods in south Asia have hit Bangladesh with enormous force, and there is an acute need for just about everything, such as food, seed grain and reconstruction, DanChurchAid’s representative reports from Dhaka.

“I have witnessed massive flooding and I have met with people, who have been driven away from their homes and have lost their jobs,” relates Jonas Nøddekær, who is the Asia coordinator for DanChurchAid (DCA), a member of the global alliance, Action by Churches Together (ACT) International.

Mr. Nøddekær has only just returned from Dhaka after an extensive field trip in Bangladesh, where he has reviewed the extent of the damage from the monsoon rain that has forced the country’s rivers to overflow into the nearby fields.

Different emergency situations
The flooding has had a diverse, but drastic affect all over the country.

“In the northern part, the situation was desperate a couple of weeks ago. The inhabited islands in the delta have been flooded, but the water level is receding now, and many families have moved back into their homes again,” says Mr. Nøddekær.

As some are returning home, there is no work because the fields are still flooded, and those who have land, do not have any seed grain to plant. “That is why there is a need for work-for-food projects and seed grain,” says Mr. Nøddekær.

Dependent on aid
In the central part of Bangladesh, in the Manekeunj area, relief packages are still being distributed. People are living in sheds along the roads that are elevated from the waters, which have flooded their homes and fields.

“We met people who told us that there are a lot of snakes in the water, and that they have to be on constant lookout for their children, so they don’t fall into the water. Several have drowned already,” Mr. Nøddekær reports.

The families who have been driven from their homes have no money and there is no work because of the flooding, so they are very dependent on aid.

In the capital city of Dhaka, where several rivers pass, the rivers have overflowed again. “The whole city is surrounded by water,” says Mr. Nøddekær.

ACT members continuing their support
More than 35 million people have been affected by the massive monsoon rains in south east Asia. India, Bangladesh and Nepal are among the countries that have been hit the hardest by the subsequent massive floods. In some areas, the amount of rain is equivalent to what is normal for a period of two years.

The flooding has left millions of people homeless and resulted in thousands of deaths. As the emergency situation continues, DCA is continuing their assistance, along with other ACT members, to families affected by the floods across south Asia.

(ends)

Action by Churches Together (ACT) International is a global alliance of churches and related agencies working to save lives and support communities in emergencies worldwide.

Malene Haakansson is the Journalist & Advocacy Coordinator for DanChurchAid (DCA).