Floods in Bangladesh, 110 dead and 150,000 displaced
Chittagong (AsiaNews) - At least 110 dead and over 150,000 displaced: this is the toll from the floods which for days have been hitting the southeast of Bangladesh, in particular the districts of Chittagong, Cox's Bazar and Bandarban. The data - continuously updated - comes from the Ministry of Food and Disaster Management. However, local sources of AsiaNews diminish the magnitude of the disaster: "We're in monsoon season, unfortunately these situations occur every year. They are seasonal floods, it is still early to proclaim it a disaster. What is worrying is that another disturbance, of greater magnitude, is headed towards the northeast of the country: the area includes many villages, thousands of people. Many are already flooded; should it continue to rain, anything can happen."
In the past few days, the sources explained, "there was a disturbance on the sea that brought heavy rains. In Chittagong city, roads and streets were flooded; the water reached nearly a meter in height. The problem is that there are no drainage systems. Then, there were landslides on the hills around the city, which struck some houses."
Meanwhile, the government has not yet organized rescue operations. Where possible, the population receives aid from local Caritas centers or some NGOs. "Even this", the source said, "is normal. Everyone has to fend for himself. From one point of view, the government is powerless in the face of such situations. It also happened in the past, when the floods inundated thousands of villages". What is certain though, is that "when these situations occur, the government launches appeals to the international community to receive aid, which however does not go to disaster areas, but into the pockets of someone else."
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