Dozens Dead And Millions Displaced After Worst Floods In A Century Hit Bangladesh

Devastating floods in Bangladesh, which have been called the worst in more than a hundred years, have displaced millions of people and left vast swathes of land inundated.

- Stuti Mishra

Experts say floods hitting Bangladesh and northeastern India, which have killed at least 62 people, are a timely reminder of the damage already being wrought by extreme weather events exacerbated by the climate crisis.

Enamur Rahman, Bangladesh's junior minister for disaster and relief, said yesterday that hundreds of thousands of people have been evacuated in the Sunamganj and Sylhet districts, and about four million people have been marooned in the area, the United News of Bangladesh agency reported.

People in the northeastern region have been entirely cut off from the rest of the country by failed communication lines. Schools have been converted into makeshift shelters and on Friday, the army was deployed to help people reach these facilities. Even so, there are many reports of emergency workers struggling to reach those affected.

Officials are warning that the country is facing a massive humanitarian crisis, following severe flooding earlier this year that left millions of people displaced. Bangladesh is home to several major rivers including the Brahmaputra Jamuna, Surma, and the Kushiyara, all of which have been rising simultaneously due to a constant downpour which may continue for some time.

There have been repeated warnings that the frequency and severity of extreme weather events in the region will rise due to climate change. According to the United Nations'

Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), about 17 per cent of people in Bangladesh will need to be relocated over the next decade if global warming persists at the present rate.