Bangladesh flooding displaces hundreds of thousands

By October 5, 2012

Bangladesh (MNN) — Late last week, heavy rainfall in Southeast Bangladesh caused the Jamuna River to burst its banks–again.

Chittagong, Bandarban, and Cox's Bazar dealt with the worst flooding and landslides in 60 years which killed 122 people and affected 1.3 million.

On September 28, 10,000 households in Kamalpur again lost everything they had. Many of these homes belonged to Food For The Hungry savings group members. Flood waters continue to rise, and team members expect even more homes to be flooded in communities where FH works, especially Kamalpur and Dhunot.

A team from FH/Bangladesh is currently visiting affected communities to assess needs and determine how best to help.

The Emergency Response Unit (ERU) of Food for the Hungry (FH) responds to disasters around the world. By mobilizing FH offices on the ground and partnering with organizations, FH brings critical physical assistance and Christ's love to disaster survivors. The teams provide shelter, food, and comfort to people who have lost everything.

Already living on poverty's edge before the disaster, many of the survivors can't even rebuild their houses. The community had already evacuated once, and FH participants had already spent their shared savings trying to recover.

Starting over again is a daunting prospect. Space is at a premium, so moving away from the riverbank is unlikely.

This week, the European Union gave an extra five million dollars to keep the relief efforts moving forward. Aid workers are targeting the most vulnerable, including women, children, the elderly, and the disabled.

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