Noakhali flood-hit residents struggle as shelters reach capacity

 
The flood-hit people in Noakhali district are now struggling to find a proper shelter as the flood situation in Noakhali has worsened due to continuous rain and upstream water. Many people are forced to live in waterlogged conditions as space is unavailable in remote areas in the district.

The flood situation further deteriorated in the district town of Maizdi and in the Sadar upazila. Meanwhile, residents have reported that relief is not properly reaching many remote areas of the district. Flood victims are desperately seeking aid. Currently, a total of 21,25,500 people in 87 unions across 8 upazilas of the district are stranded due to flooding. The number of people taking shelter in 1,303 shelters is 2,64,743. Locals have observed some improvement in the flood situation in Senbagh, Kabirhat, and Companiganj upazilas in the last 24 hours.

However, the situation in Begumganj, Sonamui and Chatkhil upazilas remains almost unchanged, and the situation in the district town of Maizdi and Sadar upazila has worsened.

According to the district Meteorological Department, in the 24 hours from 9am Tuesday to 9am Wednesday, 72 millimetres of rainfall has been recorded. With a new low-pressure system forming in the Bay of Bengal, there is a possibility of more rainfall in the district in the next 24 hours.

While talking to the flood-hit people, they said, "People in the villages are suffering greatly due to being stranded. However, we are not receiving relief due to the remote access routes. The lack of coordination between administrative and individual relief efforts has led to this situation."

Meanwhile, volunteers bringing relief from various parts of the country to Noakhali are facing difficulties. Reports have surfaced of volunteers being assaulted and relief materials being looted due to a lack of proper oversight by the administration. Noakhali Deputy Commissioner Dewan Mahbubur Rahman said, "The situation in Noakhali is continuously worsening. The food crisis is at its peak. We are trying our best, and more affluent members of society need to provide additional assistance to the residents of Noakhali."