As has been the case for sometime now, Bangladesh was hit by floods on a vast scale this time too. More than half of the country’s 64 districts are severely affected. Vast areas of land and crops are submerged, and millions of people have been left homeless.
For children and families living in camps and still stranded by the floods, the threat of disease and hunger looms.Major health facilities in Bangladesh have been burdened with patients suffering from intestinal and other ailments as post-flood diseases have spread in many areas of the country.
Health officials said they overnight recorded over 3,000 new cases of diarrhea alone, while a total of 34,989 people contracted water-borne disease so far. Another 6,711 were suffering from respiratory diseases.
A spokesman of the International Centre for Diarrhoeal Diseases, Bangladesh (ICDDRB) said Sunday they treated 900 patients with diarrhoea.
The Dhaka-based specialised international facility on Saturday said they treated a record 1,000 patients, while in normal period they receive less then 300 patients of intestinal diseases a day.
The disaster management control room said death toll in floods reached 268, mostly from drowning, while the health ministry reported another 29 deaths from diarrhoea, respiratory diseases and snake bites.
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United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) Bangladesh’s Chief of Health, Dr. Iyorlumun Uhaa regretted, “Most of the cases are among children under five years of age, and we can estimate reasonably that there are many more cases taking place in locations that cannot be reached.”
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The government has mobilized more than 700,000 mobile health teams, as well as its armed forces, which are using boats to reach people in need.
“With the heavy monsoon rains and also some of the waters coming from the Assam rivers in India, emptying into the Jamuna River in Bangladesh, the situation here has been really, really bad,” noted Dr. Uhaa.
The government has established more than 1,200 shelters – including many school buildings and health facilities – to accommodate the displaced. But much more aid is needed.
Some survivors are still clinging to whatever belongings they could save in the floods. “It’s an especially desperate situation for women, children and the elderly,” said Dr. Uhaa.
UN agencies on the ground, including UNICEF and the World Food Programme (WFP), are well coordinated to help the government respond to the crisis. Using pre-positioned supplies, for example, UNICEF has sent 15 million water purification tablets to affected areas.
“We have also dispatched some 400,000 sachets of saline, and essential drugs worth more than $300,000,” said Dr. Uhaa. “We pre-positioned 90 metric tonnes of BP5, a high-energy biscuit, and in collaboration with WFP and through NGOs, they are now reaching children and pregnant women.”
In addition, UNICEF is providing temporary shelter materials such as plastic sheeting, and family kits with essential supplies for daily survival, noted Dr. Uhaa. “We estimate that 1.7 million people can be covered,” he said.
Moreover, at least 3 of the 10 mobile water treatment plants purchased and pre-positioned by UNICEF Bangladesh have been mobilized in Sirajganj, one of the worst-hit districts.
Source-Medindia
SRM/J
