Floods: Lack of coordination in distribution as remote areas receive insufficient relief

People’s sufferings mount in the 11 flood-hit eastern districts, mostly in Feni, Noakhli, Lakshimpur and Cumilla, of the country as water recedes slowly.

Flood-affected people alleged adequate reliefs are not reaching remote areas whereas people currently staying in shelters and those, who have houses near roads, have received relief items for several times.

In fact, relief materials are not reaching all the affected areas equally due to a lack of coordination in relief distribution. For this, the flood-affected people sought local administration and government assistance in relief distribution. However, local administrations said relief allocation is less for the food-affected people.

According to Socheton Nagorik Committee Convener, Lakshimpur chapter president ZM Faruqi and Sushasoner Jonno Nagorik (SHUJAN), Lakshimpur chapter president Kamal Hossain, everyone is distributing relief materials near the roads randomly, which is why relief did not reach the affected people in remote areas. They also stressed coordination of administration in relief distribution.

The Ministry of Disaster Management and Relief released an update on the overall situation of the ongoing floods. It said more than 5.6 million people have been affected by the ongoing flood in 11 districts -- Feni, Cumilla, Chattogram, Khagrachhari, Noakhali, Moulvibazar, Habiganj, Brahmanbaria, Sylhet, Lakshmipur and Cox's Bazar.

The ministry further said there is adequate stock of relief materials in all districts, as well as Tk 35.2 million cash has been allocated to distribute among the affected people. Besides, 20,650 tonnes of rice, 15,000 packets of dry foods and Tk 3.5 million for cattle feed have also been allocated.

Floodwaters have submerged Chhagalnaiya, Fulgazi, Parashuram, Feni Sadar, Dagonbhuiyan and Sonagazi uapzilas of Feni entirely. Chest-deep water has dropped to knee-water over the past two days in these areas.

District administration said the flood affected 800,000 people, and 150,000 of them were provided with shelters across the districts. Many people also found shelters at their neighbours’ two-or three-storied houses.

Relief materials arrived from various places in the country but that did not reach everyone in the remote areas due to a lack of coordination.

Sources said local administration distributed 62,000 packets of dry foods over the last five days. Members of the armed forces distributed 38,000 packets of food in various areas. Besides, volunteers brought food by trucks from different corners of the country.

It has been learned after visiting the flood-hit areas and speaking to locals and volunteers that villages adjacent to the Dhaka-Chattogram highway in Feni Sadar upazila received more relief while little relief reached the remote areas.

Abdullah Al Basim from Chanua village adjacent to the highway told Prothom Alo five-six relief trucks came to their villages whereas no more than two trucks went to Lashkarhat village, which is further away.

Deputy commissioner Musammat Shahina Akter told Prothom Alo that relief assistance will be provided by preparing lists through upazila nirbahi officers. Many volunteers are also providing relief in association with the district administration.

People from East Dighali, eight kilometres south to Lakshimpur Sadar, did not get many relief items. Locals said they received little amount of relief under various private initiatives, but no government reliefs reached them.

Arif Hossain, 60, is from Char Karida village of Kamalnagar upazila. Prothom Alo correspondent spoke to him on Sunday afternoon. His house is three kilometres away from the Lakshimpur-Kamalnagr road. Floodwaters have left his family marooned for a week and they did not receive relief materials till Sunday.

Speaking about the overall situation, Lakshimpur district relief and rehabilitation officer Yunus Mia told Prothom Alo that currently 724,000 people are stranded by floods in the district. He said actions will be taken to coordinate relief distribution by discussing with the authorities.

Flood situations further worsened in Noakhali town, Maijdee, Sadar upazila and Begumganj upazila while situations improved slightly in Senbag, Sonaimuri, Kabirhat, Subornachar and Compaiganj uapzilas.

Locals said the flood has inundated the district for over a week but relief materials are not reaching the remote areas properly.

As of Tuesday, the government allocated Tk 4.5 million in cash and 882 tonnes of rice for the flood-affected people. Noakhali deputy commissioner Dewan Mahbubur Rahman admitted allocation was not adequate.

He said government relief is being allocated and distributed to the affected people every day. Various individuals and organisations are also distributing relief without communicating the administration, which is why coordination in relief distribution is not happening properly.

Floods inundated 14 out of 17 upazilas in Cumilla. Water also started to recede in Gumti River. Flood-affected people are awaiting relief in Laksham, Mohorganj and Nangolkot in the south of the district, as well as remote areas of Burichang and Brahmanpara upazila.

Sajal Shil from the Monipur area of Manoharganj has been left stranded for a week but received no relief items. He is trying to survive with what was left in the house.

District relief and rehabilitation officer Mohammad Abed Ali said relief materials are inadequate in Cumilla compared to the flood-affected people. They have distributed Tk 3.9 million so far and sought another Tk 5 million.

Md. Alamgir, who is over 40, took shelter along with his family at a primary school in Neyamatpur Lemua union of Feni Sadar upazila. His three sons have been suffering from fever, cold and cough for three days. He thinks they become ill because of getting drenched.

The surrounding areas and road of the schools were under chest to knee-deep water as of Tuesday. He pulls an auto-rickshaw but lost one of his legs in a road accident five years ago. So, he is in no position to bring medicines for their children.

Alamgir said 10 more families also took shelter at the school. There are 506 children. Almost all of them are ill but have not received any medical care. The local community hospital was submerged.

Feni civil surgeon Shihab Uddin said they cannot go from village to village due to floodwaters. He told Prothom Alo it had not been possible to provide medical care from village to village due to more floodwaters. Six emergency teams have already been dispatched to six upazilas and treatment is being provided through camps.

On the other hand, medical care is being provided at the Feni Sadar Hospital. The operation has resumed at health complexes in Parashuram, Chhagalnaiya, and Sonagazi upazilas as the water receded, but no medical team went to the villages.

Floods destroyed about 10,000 houses in Fatikchhari, Hathazari and Raujan upazilas of Chattogram and 8,100 of those houses were in Fatikchhari upazila alone. Fatikchhari upazila nirbahi officer Mozammel Haque Chowdhury said the people have overcome the flood situation, but they are now worried about their residences.

In the meantime, heavy rainfall damaged tourist structures, as well as caused over 11 small or large breakages across a five-kilometre area of the sea beach from Kalatali to Laboni point in Cox’s Bazar. Water from high tide also submerges tourists’ walking areas.

Floodwaters also damaged several hundred houses in Khagrachhari. Deputy commissioner Md. Sahiduzzaman said 40,000 people have been affected by floods in the districts. The district administration has allocated 502 tonnes of grains and Tk 1.2 million so far, he added.

[Prothom Alo’s Staff Correspondents and Correspondents from respective areas contributed reporting.]