Post-flood operations aligned with chief adviser’s call: Concern Worldwide

Concern Worldwide Country Director Manish Kumar Agrawal has said they are utilising local knowledge and expertise to efficiently manage the flood situation in Bangladesh, and post-flood operations are aligned with the call of the interim government Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus.

"Our continuous efforts will be focused on ensuring effective coordination so that lifesaving materials reach the flood-affected people in a timely manner," he told UNB in an interview today.

Manish said Concern is continuing to appeal to international communities and donor agencies to mobilise funding for emergency response in Bangladesh.

Concern Worldwide has released an emergency fund of Tk 13 million from its internal resources to start an immediate response in Noakhali district.

Once the water level goes down, he said, the scenario of impact needs to be available to plan support for rebuilding the lives of the people in the flood-affected districts. The support for shelter, health, livelihood and other key areas needs to be prioritised for rebuilding lives.

Concern Worldwide will work with the interim government, partners, UN and other humanitarian agencies on the need assessment and plan for the recovery of the flood-affected people, Manish said.

As an immediate emergency response, Concern Worldwide, in partnership with the Sajida Foundation, is reaching over 6,000 families with ready-to-eat food and essential non-food items in the flood-affected communities.

An Emergency Response Team of Concern Worldwide and Sajida Foundation reached on the ground to support around 40,000 flood-affected people in two upazilas of Noakhali district.

Bangladesh is experiencing devastating flash floods in the eastern part, affecting more than 5 million people in 11 districts.

This is the fourth consecutive natural disaster in the last four months in Bangladesh, which makes the situation very complex: Cyclone Remal in May, followed by northeastern floods in June, northern floods in July, and now flash floods in eastern Bangladesh.

Estimates suggest that over 20 million people across 40 percent of Bangladesh have been affected due to these consecutive disasters. Communities caught up in the flooding are highly vulnerable to being cut off from essential support. Urgent humanitarian support is needed in flood-affected districts to save lives.

The Concern Worldwide team along with its partner Sajida Foundation is already on the ground to assist flood affected people in Nohakhali. "Our team is also coordinating closely with local administration and other stakeholders to ensure no one is left behind," Manish said.

To ensure safe drinking water, he said, they are providing mineral water (5 L) for 6,000 families along with water purification tablets for these households.

"For shelter, our emergency relief included tarpaulin for the thousands of families. A ready to eat flood package is being distributed to the flood-affected people. In addition, disposable sanitary napkins are included in the relief package to meet the practical health and hygiene needs of women and adolescent girls," said the country director.

"When an emergency strikes, we are among the first on the ground, mobilizing funding and teams in the first 48 hours," he said. They are currently providing emergency support in Noakhali Sadar and Sonaimuri upazilas.

While the latest floods devastated lives in the affected districts, the most hard-hit groups include children, adolescent girls, women, pregnant and nursing mothers, people with disabilities, and the elderly.

"Our emergency relief distributions are specifically targeted to address the needs of these marginalized and most vulnerable populations," Manish said while responding to a question.

The impact in terms of loss and damage due to ever-increasing climate change is clearly evident and now of greater concern, particularly damaged shelter and communication, crop loss, education, healthcare infrastructure, as well as water sanitation facilities for the affected population in Bangladesh.

"Concern Worldwide ensures that the most vulnerable are protected during emergencies and works with communities to safeguard against damage and loss in the case of future disasters," he said, adding that Concern's emergency response targeted hard to reach areas to support thousands of flood-affected people.