Many flood victims stranded far from home in makeshift shelters

SUNAMGANJ, June 28 (bdnews24.com): After the most devastating floods in living memory swept through northeast Bangladesh, many of the worst-affected families in Sunamganj are agonising over a return to normal life as they remain stranded far from home in makeshift shelters.

Although the situation is improving, the severity of the flooding continues to hold them back. Some of these low-income families are now staring at the prospect of destitution in the wake of the destruction. Many homes were washed away while others had their roofs blown off by the high winds during the storms.

Consequently, scores of women, children and the elderly are spending their days in inhumane conditions in a smattering of shacks built on higher ground.

They are living on the dry food and relief packets that are thrown from relief trucks and vehicles coming from different parts of the country.

Torrential rain and mountain runoff from upstream in India's Meghalaya and Assam completely submerged over 90 percent of Sunamganj and the majority of districts in Sylhet.

The record-breaking floods have affected an estimated 7.2 million people who are in desperate need of shelter and emergency relief items in the north-eastern region, according to the Bangladesh Red Crescent Society.

The monsoon usually brings heavy rains in the region between June and October, often triggering floods, especially in low-lying areas like Bangladesh, where rivers are swollen with waters pouring out of the Himalayas often burst their banks.

Many of the victims are stunned by the severity of the floods and the ensuing damage.