Action by Churches Together (ACT) Alert - Bangladesh 4/2000 Floods - the deluge gets worse Geneva, 5 October 2000
ACT members in Bangladesh have reported that the flood situation has worsened further in the western and south-western frontier districts bordering the Indian state of West Bengal as new areas become submerged not only by onrushing upland water, but also due to back pressure of water in the Bay of Bengal caused by the low pressure that crossed the Barisal/Noakhali coast (south). According to media reports, the situation has seriously deteriorated in two south western districts with up-stream waters continuing to rush down despite the fall in water levels of all the major rivers during the last 24 hours. Adjoining areas of Benapole land port have gone under 4 to 5 feet water cutting off direct road communication between Dhaka and Calcutta and suspending export import between Bangladesh and India through the major land port. Roads and embankments in these districts are being washed away by flood waters that are causing colossal loss to crops, dwellings and other properties. The deluge has affected nearly 3 million people in eight districts many of whom are in dire need of food, clothing, temporary shelter and emergency medical support. There will be a special need to rehabilitate the agriculture of the area so that the people can re-plant winter crops as soon as flood waters recede. In Rajshahi the health situation has worsened with about 2,500 coming down with diarrhoea. Disaster Management officials said local administration in the affected districts are running 571 shelters, providing emergency food and medicine to 659,206 persons. Some 461 medical teams are working round the clock to combat waterborne and other diseases in those areas. The Army is using helicopters to evacuate the flood victims from remote areas and airdrop food, medicine and clothes and in Dhaka (the capital city) the Disaster Management Bureau has opened an Emergency Control Room as a part of the Government program to combat the flood. ACT members Rangpur Dinajpur Rural Service (RDRS), Christian Commission for Development in Bangladesh (CCDB) and Church of Bangladesh have been providing assistance from their emergency stocks to the affected people in several. All 5 ACT members in Bangladesh are in the process of finalising an appeal for flood assistance in the in the western and south-western districts. Coordination meetings are being held among the members which is expected to result in a coordinated, cohesive and coherent ACT response. Thank you for your attention. For further information please contact: ACT Co-ordinator, Thor-Arne Prois (phone ++41 22 791 6033 or mobile phone ++ 41 79 203 6055) or ACT Appeals Officer, Neville Pradhan (phone ++41 22 791 6035 or mobile phone ++ 41 79 285 2916) - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Action by Churches Together (ACT) is a worldwide alliance of churches and their related agencies, meeting human need through co-ordinated emergency response. The ACT Coordinating Office is based with the World Council of Churches (WCC) and the Lutheran World Federation (LWF) in Switzerland. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Ecumenical Centre Phone: ++41-22-791.60.33 150, route de Ferney Fax: ++41-22-791.65.06 1211 Geneva 2 Telex: 415 730 OIK CH Switzerland http://www.act-intl.org distributed by - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Volunteers in Technical Assistance Disaster Information Center lists: www.vita.org/listsub.htm sitreps nat-dsr web: www.vita.org fireline - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -