Published: 12:11 AM, 18 July 2026
IOM scales up flood response in BD
The International Organization for Migration (IOM) has stepped up emergency relief operations in Bangladesh as weeks of intense rainfall, flooding and landslides have triggered one of the country's worst monsoon disasters this year, affecting more than 10 lakh people across 10 districts. As humanitarian needs continue to rise, the UN migration agency is expanding life-saving assistance for flood-hit communities, including Rohingya refugees and their Bangladeshi hosts, while urging sustained international support to strengthen resilience against increasingly frequent climate-related disasters, according to an IOM press release.
More than 10 lakh people have been affected across 10 districts, including over 52,000 Rohingya refugees and more than 13,000 persons with disabilities, the organisation said.
According to the government, 57 people have died, and many others have been affected across the country.
"Families have lost homes, livelihoods and loved ones. This emergency underscores the growing human cost of climate-related disasters and the urgent need to strengthen resilience before disasters strike," said IOM Regional Director for Asia and the Pacific Iori Kato.
"IOM is working closely with the government of Bangladesh and humanitarian partners to deliver life-saving assistance, support recovery and help communities prepare for increasingly frequent and intense climate shocks," he said.
Chattogram and Cox's Bazar, home to the world's largest and most densely populated refugee settlement, were the hardest-hit districts.
In Cox's Bazar's camps, heavy rain has saturated fragile hillsides, with flash floods and landslides damaging more than 5,000 shelters as well as community facilities and infrastructure, the IOM said.
Outside camps, homes, roads, bridges, schools and other public infrastructure have been severely damaged, disrupting livelihoods and restraining access to essential services, it said.
As co-chair of the Displacement Management Cluster (DMC), IOM swiftly coordinated with cluster partners to identify the needs of affected communities and develop a plan for prioritised interventions.
In coordination with the government of Bangladesh, the Refugee Relief and Repatriation Commissioner, district authorities and humanitarian partners, IOM has deployed emergency teams across affected areas.
Chattogram and Cox's Bazar, home to the world's largest and most densely populated refugee settlement, were the hardest-hit districts.
In Cox's Bazar's camps, heavy rain has saturated fragile hillsides, with flash floods and landslides damaging more than 5,000 shelters as well as community facilities and infrastructure, the IOM said.
Outside camps, homes, roads, bridges, schools and other public infrastructure have been severely damaged, disrupting livelihoods and restraining access to essential services, it said.
As co-chair of the Displacement Management Cluster (DMC), IOM swiftly coordinated with cluster partners to identify the needs of affected communities and develop a plan for prioritised interventions.
In coordination with the government of Bangladesh, the Refugee Relief and Repatriation Commissioner, district authorities and humanitarian partners, IOM has deployed emergency teams across affected areas.
