Latest on Bangladesh floods: What CARE is doing

“People are suffering terribly. Family members are falling sick in almost every home,” Shahabuddin – a father of three – says, “Most relief efforts have focused on the main roads, which are easy to reach. But families living further away rarely receive any assistance because there aren’t enough boats or other transportation options.”

Sadly, Bangladesh is not new to floods. Between 1971 and 2014, 78 floods claimed over 41,783 lives and inflicted significant economic losses. In 2020 alone, floods affected 40 percent of the country.

“Climate change is altering the weather patterns in Bangladesh,” says Mrityunjoy with CARE’s humanitarian program, “Over the past four months, we’ve had four climatic disasters, including floods and a cyclone, affecting the lives and livelihoods of nearly one-third of the country’s population.”

CARE’s swift response

“I need to work just to find enough food to feed myself and my three daughters.  I don’t know how I will rebuild my house,” says Rozina whose husband is disabled.

Rozina’s story is unfortunately not unique. Thousands of others in the region are facing similar hardships.

However, CARE responded swiftly to the crisis. CARE and its partner Dhaka Ahsania Mission (DAM) deployed teams to provide emergency relief to affected communities, distributing essential supplies.

“We provided dignity kits to help people maintain their hygiene and we also gave each family multi-purpose cash grant to use as they saw fit,” says Priyotosh from CARE, “Our goal is to support their recovery and rehabilitation.”

“We are grateful to the people who have provided relief during these difficult days,” says Rozina. “We received different items before moving to the shelters.”

In addition to providing immediate relief, CARE Bangladesh, with support from UNICEF, has installed water purification units in Noakhali, Feni, and Lakshmipur districts through local partners DAM and People’s Oriented Program Implementation. Each unit supplies 2,000 liters of clean water per hour, serving up to 1,000 households.

As of September 17, CARE Bangladesh has reached nearly 1,300 households with multi-purpose cash grants and dignity kits. CARE efforts are specifically focused on women, who make up more than half of the affected population.

A long road to recovery

One month after the floods, the water has receded, and most people have returned home trying to rebuild their lives.

As part of post-flood recovery and rehabilitation efforts, CARE plans to expand its response in Noakhali and Feni districts and support around 7,000 affected families with water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) services, cash for work programs, livelihood support, and shelter repair.

“CARE will continue to collaborate closely with local organizations and strengthen our partnerships with the government to ensure that people receive the critical support they need during these challenging times. CARE, always there. We are committed to responding to any situation that may arise in Bangladesh,” says Ram Das, CARE Bangladesh country director.