Despite three months having elapsed since the floods in Feni, Nurunnesa Begum, now in her 80s, has not been able to return to her home in Fatehpur Union. It was swept away. She currently shelters at her daughter’s house.
Nurunnesa recalled the devastating August floods: “Feni residents haven’t seen such floods in fifty years. We witnessed the worst floods in history, leaving hundreds of families destitute overnight. Our barn, cattle, chickens and belongings were all washed away. We only managed to save our lives.”
Dilruba, another flood victim, showed her damaged house: “I wanted to expand the house this year but never imagined the water would rise to the waist overnight. I swam to the shelter to save my life. Five days after the waters receded, I returned home to find it a pile of mud. I can’t afford to expand the house now. If I focus on fixing the house, how will I eat? My husband has no income. I don’t know what will happen next.”
The floods affected over 1.1 million people, with 95% of the district impacted. The district administration is prioritizing house rehabilitation and road repairs.
So far, 8,659 families have applied for new houses. The local authorities requested 20,000 bundles of tin and Tk6 crore, of which 400 bundles and Tk12 lakh have been disbursed. Each affected family is entitled to one bundle of tin and Tk3,000.
Additionally, 110 two-room pucca houses will be built under the special shelter project across various upazilas.
Abul Kashem, a farmer from Fulgazi upazila, has yet to receive any assistance. He bought tin in installments to repair his damaged house but is unsure how to pay for it.
“All the crops were destroyed in the floods, and the tin roof has been leaking. I ran out of money and hoped for help, which didn’t come for three months. Only dry food and water were provided by the Red Crescent and other organizations. So I was forced to take out a loan of Tk80,000 this month,” Kashem said.
Red Crescent shows hope
Although three months have passed since the floods, most affected families in North and South Bariya of Fulgazi Upazila have not yet received government post-flood assistance.
However, the Bangladesh Red Crescent Society, alongside other non-governmental organizations, has been instrumental in providing aid.
Since August 20, the Red Crescent has reached out to approximately 283,000 people in Feni district with various forms of assistance.
About 25 Red Crescent volunteers, working with the Bangladesh Army and Navy, have been active since the floods began, distributing over 200,000 dry food items and forming seven mobile teams to offer physical and mental health support.
The Red Crescent has also provided Tk6,000 in cash assistance to more than 24,000 families, with another 27,524 families set to receive aid in the second phase.
Additionally, house repairs and financial assistance for 35 families in Nababpur union of Sonagazi upazila are ongoing.
The efforts include distributing 600 tarpaulins, 3,000 toolkits, and 2,000 kitchen items for temporary shelters.
Aid has amounted to 550,000 liters of water, along with renovated and disinfected 530 tubewells, and distribution of 2,000 hygiene parcels containing essential toiletries and 2.5 lakh water purification tablets in the affected areas.
Toilet assistance
The Red Crescent has provided toilet assistance to 75 families in Fulgazi Upazila affected by the floods.
One beneficiary, Hasina Akhter from Maulvi Bari in Uttar Bariya Union, said: “Due to the floods, most houses had no toilets. My parents and I were suffering, but the Red Crescent gave us Tk20,000 to build a toilet.”
Md Shamsuddin, Feni unit president of the Bangladesh Red Crescent Society, said: “The floods in Feni have been devastating. As a volunteer organization, we have seen the worst. A team of 23 Red Crescent members has been active since the beginning, coordinating relief efforts with the Feni district administration and the army. We provide such aid as financial assistance, house repairs, latrines, water purification and more.”
Damage worth 25,000C
The district administration reported that this year’s floods in Feni have caused unprecedented damage, with total financial losses amounting to Tk25,000 crore.
The sectors hit hardest include fisheries, livestock, the industrial sector and housing.
Damage caused to fisheries, livestock and poultry is estimated at Tk914 crore. Small, medium and industrial factories have also experienced significant losses.
A total of 64,415 houses have been damaged, leading to a financial loss of Tk533 crore.
The estimated loss to rural, regional, and highways is Tk140 crore, while 866 educational institutions and offices have suffered losses totaling Tk38.72 crore.
Saiful Islam, Deputy Commissioner of Feni, said: “The ministry concerned has been requested to provide assistance for repairing roads, electricity poles and support for education, agriculture and livestock. Government, private and various voluntary organizations, including the UNDP and Red Crescent, are working with the flood victims in coordination.”