20 lakh children at risk of floods: UNICEF
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photo: Collected
The United Nations Children's Fund UNICEF said that more than 20 lakh children in eastern Bangladesh are now at risk as homes, schools and villages are inundated by the ongoing floods. According to the agency, 56 lakh people have been affected by this worst flood to hit the eastern part of Bangladesh in the last 34 years. UNICEF needs 35 million US dollars in support to provide life-saving equipment to the thousands of people and children trapped in water without food or emergency relief supplies.
UNICEF Bangladesh gave this information in a press release on Friday (August 30).
According to the press release, major rivers in the south-eastern part of the country are overflowing due to unprecedented heavy monsoon rains. As a result of which more than 54 people have died so far. More than five lakh people of Chattogram and Sylhet divisions are looking for a little shelter; Houses, roads and fields have been submerged in flood water. Lakhs of children and their families are trapped in water, they have no food or any essential relief items. Government officials and volunteers are continuing the rescue operation. But in some areas, aid delivery has become difficult. As the monsoon rains continue, more people are expected to be affected in the coming days.
It is said that since the beginning of the disaster, UNICEF started working in the affected areas. UNICEF in collaboration with Hasan Arif, Adviser of the Ministry of Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives, carried out the initial verification phase. Together with the partners, UNICEF has so far reached more than 338,000 people, including 130,000 children. Among these people, they distributed life-saving supplies such as 36 lakh water purification tablets, 25,000 jerry-cans for water retention and more than 250,000 bags of oral rehydration salts.
But beyond these, much more needs to be done as mentioned in the press release. It said that disaster-affected people and children urgently need cash assistance, safe drinking water, hygiene kits (hygiene kits), emergency latrines, sanitary pads, oral rehydration salts (oral saline) and emergency life-saving medicines. Primary health care to treat sick newborns and children and essential services to enable expectant mothers to safely deliver their babies need to be put in place immediately.
Emma Brigham, Deputy Representative of UNICEF in Bangladesh, said that the floods in the eastern part of Bangladesh highlight the severity of the impact of extreme weather events and climate crisis on children. Many children have lost loved ones, lost their homes and schools; they are very helpless.
He said that since the beginning, UNICEF has been actively providing emergency services including water purification tablets and oral saline. But more funding is needed to reach all children and prevent the devastating impact of this ongoing crisis on children's futures.
Brigham also said that the lives of millions of children in Bangladesh are being disrupted by floods, heatwaves and cyclones year after year. Climate change is definitely changing the lives of children. Before it is too late, we call on global leaders to act urgently for children and take concrete steps to mitigate the effects of climate change on their lives.
