"Everyone wants to distribute relief along the main roads, but no one is willing to venture into the remote areas."
These were the words of Shanto Paul, Disaster and Humanitarian Aid Secretary of the Lakshmipur Red Crescent Youth, who has been actively helping the flood affected people since Friday.
"There have been instances where five different groups distributed relief in a single location. However, critical areas like Mandari, where aid is desperately needed, have been overlooked. The regions near the embankment of Mandari Union are severely flooded," he added.
All five upazilas of the district have been affected by recent floods.
Although the Meghna River's water level is now below the danger mark, the Rahmat Khali canal is struggling to discharge the excess water.
As a result, Lakshmipur may take some time to recover from the flooding.
Over 23,000 people in the district have sought refuge in 245 flood shelters since Thursday.
Shanto mentioned that while some trucks have reached the district, there is a significant lack of coordination.
Red Crescent members are assisting in directing the distribution of relief to the areas most in need. Volunteers from the Red Crescent are also present in the upazilas to guide relief efforts.
Some groups have coordinated with the Red Crescent unit, but the coordination remains inconsistent.
The flood control room of the Lakshmipur Red Crescent has received over 150 distress calls for rescue and relief.
According to Shanto, two rescue teams are actively working in Sadar and Raipur upazilas. Their members in Kamalnagar and Ramgati are responding to rescue calls as needed.
"Although Sadar has many volunteer organizations, only a handful of volunteers, including Red Crescent members, are present in the remote areas of the district," Shanto noted.
He urged donors to provide vehicles to aid in the rescue of flood-affected people. Currently, the district Red Crescent has only one pickup truck available for rescue operations.
"We are doing everything we can within our means, but we can't reach five different places with a single vehicle," Shanto emphasized.
He also highlighted that the cost of operating the pickup truck is becoming unsustainable for their organization.
"Everyone is focused on distributing relief, but no one is concentrating on rescuing people," Shanto said.
He also urged people to bring baby food and sanitary napkins when coming to Lakshmipur.
Yunus Mia, the District Relief and Rehabilitation Officer of Lakshmipur, said: "The district administration has been providing relief since Friday. However, we are facing shortages of dry rations and drinking water.
"We have been unable to deliver relief to some flood shelters due to waterlogging. We are working to reach these areas as quickly as possible. These shelters include those in Charshahi and parts of Raipur," he added.
He mentioned that the situation improved on Sunday, with the water level no longer rising. He is hopeful that if there is no further rain, the water will start to recede.
As the water level in Lakshmipur rose more slowly than in Feni or Noakhali, people had slightly more time to reach safety.
According to the District Administration, Ramgati upazila suffered the most damage due to its location along the Meghna River. However, the flood situation there improved on Monday.
As of Monday, Kamalnagar is facing the most severe crisis among the upazilas.
Mobile networks are available throughout the district, and electricity is partially restored in some areas, including Sadar.
Kamalnagar Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Sucitra Ranjon Das said: "The water level in Kamalnagar upazila has risen due to rainfall. We have provided water purification tablets in our flood shelters."
Ramgati UNO Syed Amjad Hosen said: "People now want to eat rice as they've only had rice flakes or puffed rice for the last two days. We have distributed cooked food in the shelters. Although we have rice from the district administration, we urgently need lentils and potatoes to provide complete meals for all affected people."
