Floods leave thousands homeless in 11 districts

Although waters have receded from majority areas in the 11 flood-hit districts, the suffering of the affected people continues, as the disaster has left many homeless.

On top of losing their houses, people from low-income groups, particularly farmers, have also lost their livelihoods after the deluge ravaged vast tracts of croplands and a great number of ponds.

"Floodwaters swept away my mud house. It's all I had in this world. Now, I have no place to live," said a devastated Nurun Begum, 65, of Mierpara village in Moulvibazar's Kulaura upazila.

"I've had to taken shelter on the front porch of one of my neighbour's house," she explained in a helpless voice.

Sujan Mia, an autorickshaw driver from the same village, said, "My house quickly went underwater after the embankment along the Manu river got breached on August 22. Even though the floodwater has receded, I cannot return home as my house has been damaged."

Sujan said he was staying at one of his relative's house.

Jamsed Ali, also a resident of Mierpara area, said, "My vegetable garden, which was my sole income source, has been washed away. Now, how will my family survive?"

Around 8,786 houses have been damaged by the recent flood in the district, according to Moulvibazar District Relief and Rehabilitation Officer Mohammad Sadu Mia.

"We have already sent a letter to higher authorities concerned seeking allocation to rehabilitate the flood victims," he said.

Cumilla has been similarly devastated by the floods.

"My house and all the furniture in it have been washed away. But I don't have the money to repair it," said MA Azim, a resident of Mohismara village under Burichang upazila.

He said he and his family took shelter at one of their relatives.

Burichang Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Shahida Akter said around 40,000 houses in this upazila have been damaged.

Over seven lakh families are still marooned across the country, though flood situations are improving gradually, according to a government report yesterday.

Flooding has subsided entirely in several districts, including Chattogram, Feni, Khagrachari, Habiganj, Sylhet, Brahmanbaria, and Cox's Bazar, said the report of the Ministry of Disaster Management and Relief.

"Meanwhile, the flood situation has improved in Moulvibazar, and the situation is gradually improving in Cumilla, Noakhali, and Lakshmipur," it said.

"Currently, 7,05,052 families are still marooned," added the report.

At least 59 people died and over 53 lakh people in 11 districts were affected by the flood.

The Flood Forecasting and Warning Centre, in a bulletin yesterday, said the flood situation is likely to continue to improve across the country as most of the major rivers are in a falling trend.

[Our correspondents from Moulvibazar and Cumilla also contributed to the report.]