Members of the Bangladesh Red Crescent Society (BDRCS) are on the frontline of rescue, relief, and coordination in the recent flood in the eastern part of Bangladesh.
BDRCS units of Noakhali, Lakshmipur, and Feni have been helping the flood-affected people alongside other government and volunteer organizations since the flood hit on August 21.
Noakhali and Lakshmipur units set up flood control rooms and helped the Dhaka Tribune correspondent with real-time on-ground information.
However, the Feni unit was unable to set up a flood control room due to the lack of electricity and mobile network connectivity. However, they continued their rescue and relief program.
Noakhali
The BDRCS Noakhali decreased the dry rations and provided cooked foods as flood relief. Unit members said they would provide packaged reliefs starting next week when people have a setup to cook food themselves.
Jobayer Hossain, a unit member, said: “As the water level has started decreasing, our priority is to provide medical support.”
The unit member informed us that reliefs are reaching remote areas of the district.
Lakshmipur
Shanto Paul, Disaster and Humanitarian Aid secretary of BDRCS Lakshmipur, again said: “There is an issue with coordination in relief distribution. Groups bringing relief select a specific location before their arrival but are not informed whether that spot has already received aid.”
The district unit's flood control room holds all the necessary information about relief distribution. He urges everyone to coordinate with the flood control room for proper aid distribution.
He said: “Those who contacted us, we provided the necessary information regarding the place which has needs.”
He confirmed that flood relief had reached all the upazilas of the district. However, those who live beside the road are getting more than those who live in remote areas.
Feni
The local unit distributed 4,000 food packages with the help of BDRCS in the district. They also distributed more than 150,000 litres of drinking water and purification tablets. The unit confirmed the distribution of sanitary napkins.
The unit is providing medical and psychological support to flood-affected people.
BDRCS Feni unit also coordinated with groups from Dhaka, Gazipur, and Chittagong for relief distributions.
Samsul Arefin, youth chief of Feni unit said: “We started rescue operations on the morning of July 21, and it ended on the evening of July 23.”
Arefin said two units will be distributing food packages in Parshuram and Daganbhuiyan upazillas on Friday afternoon.
The water is still logged in some parts of Daganbhuiyan and Sonagazi upazillas.