21 August 2007 - Following the devastating flooding in Bangladesh, water levels continue to subside. However, affected populations remain in a precarious situation. Access to water and hygiene is still limited and there is a risk of disease outbreaks and epidemics. In light of this, Action Against Hunger is launching an emergency operation in Shariatpur district, to the south of Dhaka.

Until a few weeks ago, nearly half of all districts in Bangladesh (40% of the country) were totally or partially flooded by this year’s heavy monsoon. More than 500 people were killed, mainly due to water-borne diseases, an estimated 60,000 homes have been destroyed and more than 10 million people have been affected by the floods. As water levels decrease, concerns remain regarding access to clean drinking water and sanitation especially for the most vulnerable people. Action Against Hunger is launching an emergency intervention in Shariatpur district (south of Dhaka) in partnership with a Bangladeshi NGO called Shariatpur Development Society. The priority is to improve people’s access to clean drinking water, sanitation and food.

Shariatpur district: urgent need for clean water and sanitation

In Shariatpur district, one of the worst affected districts, more than 650,000 people (over half of the district’s population) were affected by the flooding and the resulting erosion of river banks. In some parts of the district, 80% of water points have been polluted; 200 of these have been severely damaged. Although many people are returning to their villages, nearly one thousand families are still displaced. “People are walking on the edge of the streets, with the cattle they were able to save from the floods,” says Action Against Hunger’s Florent Baverey. “Water levels have gone down by 60cm over the past two weeks. Shallow wells have nearly all been damaged or contaminated while deeper wells are mainly still functioning. There is a risk that the remaining water and sanitation installations will become saturated,” she continues.

Together with its partner Shariatpur Development Society, Action Against Hunger will provide assistance to around 4,000 families by implementing programmes to rehabilitate and construct wells, to install latrines and to distribute hygiene kits.

A precarious situation for people affected by the floods

A large part of the cultivated land was inundated by the floods. Some families have lost all their stock, seeds and some of their livestock. Livestock is a substantial part of families’ assets in the district which is now threatened by an outbreak of animal diseases. The people most affected by the floods are the poor and the casual labourers who will have to survive without any source of income for some weeks, before the situation improves. Action Against Hunger, in partnership with Shariatpur Development Society, will launch programmes including the vaccinations of animals and the distribution of fodder and seeds to assist the most vulnerable families in restarting their agricultural activities as soon as possible. 

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