ACT Dateline

Bangladesh 01/07

Bangladesh Floods: Major emergency assistance operation underway

By Arne Grieg Riisnæs, ACT International

JITHKAR, BANGLADESH. August 14, 2007-While the massive amount of water is slowly withdrawing, the damage and emergency need is showing its true colours in Bangladesh. The desperation of people was seen as ACT members, Norwegian Church Aid (NCA) and the Christian Commission for Development in Bangladesh (CCDB) distributed food and medicines to nearly 600 families.

"We are constantly hungry. I do not have enough food to feed my children," says Shifa Begam from Jithkar, a village near the Harirampur-district in Bangladesh. With tears in her eyes, she accepts a big bag with rice, cooking oil, lentils and medicines. The support is part of an aid operation by ACT members NCA and CCDB, the only humanitarian support that is present in the village.

"Thank God for bringing a gift like this. I cannot express my gratitude enough. At least now we have food for a whole week," said Ms. Begam, smiling, while holding on to the bag in one hand and her three year old son Akash in the other.

Other ACT members in Bangladesh including the Church of Bangladesh (CoB), Koinonia, Rangpur Dinajpur Rural Service (RDRS) and the Social Health & Education Development Board (SHED) are responding throughout the country. The most recent flood put 40 percent of the country under water and people are dreading another flood soon.

"We lost everything in the flood, and there is no use asking our family and friends for help, because they also have lost everything they own," says Nemi Lipi, a young mother of two children. Before the flood they were able to manage from the income her husband received from his job at the rice paddy in the neighbouring village. Today, what is left of the rice paddy is just water and mud and the family is surviving day by day.

"Our home is destroyed and we have to live with friends. But at least now we have food to bring back," said Ms. Lipi, while repeatedly offering her thanks for the assistance.

But not everyone is receiving the necessary aid. While 600 families have received their bags, the supplies have run out and a group with elderly women are furious and crying because they were not given a bag with supplies.

"I wish we had enough bags for everyone, and I understand the desperation amongst the people. But we are doing everything we can to come back with more next week," says Steffen Rasmussen, the regional representative for Norwegian Church Aid in south Asia.

In all the chaos, an elderly man approaches us. His smile is big. "It was first now I realised that there was medicine in the bag," 70-year-old Afzer Ali said. In addition to food, there were simple oral rehydration salts to treat his diarrhoea.

After the flood poured over the region, the hospitals in many districts have become crammed with patients who are suffering from diarrhoea. Just on Sunday, over 4,000 patients were diagnosed with diarrhoea and children are the most affected.

Other water-borne diseases are spreading rapidly over the country, and tens of thousands of people are affected by serious eye and skin infections. Typhoid fever and pneumonia is also rampant.

Mr. Ali is just one who has been severely affected by the floods. And in addition, he has a bad limp. He tells us that he broke his leg while trying to escape from the flood, and that he can no longer work as a carrier. He says he does not know how he will manage without an income, but laughs sincerely while holding the small medicine kit in his hands, saying, "I am an old and sick man, but at least now I will get well!"

(ends)

ACT is a global alliance of churches and related agencies working to save lives and support communities in emergencies worldwide. The ACT Coordinating Office is based with the World Council of Churches (WCC) and The Lutheran World Federation (LWF) in Switzerland.

Arne Grieg Riisnæs is the Press Officer for the Media division and advocacy campaigns for Norwegian Church Aid (NCA).