Mrasangching Marma, Kroingsangpru Marma and around 35 to 40 other families from Lemujhiri Marma Para in Bandarban have been taking shelter in a forest on a nearby hill after floodwaters submerged their homes.
For the last three days, they have been spending the nights there with their families and young children. The dry food they brought with them has already run out, while rice, clothes and household belongings left behind in their homes remain inaccessible.
Their appeal is simple: "We just need some rice or a little cooked food. We can stay hungry, but our children need something to eat."
The situation is not limited to Lemujhiri Marma Para. Residents taking shelter on hillsides and inside forests in several remote and isolated parts of Bandarban alleged that while relief assistance has reached official shelters, many cut-off hill communities have yet to receive any support.
Five consecutive days of heavy rainfall and flash floods triggered by hill streams have created a severe flood situation across the district, leaving more than 10,000 people stranded. With roads submerged, life has come to a near standstill.
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Photo: Star
A visit to the affected areas today found waist-deep to neck-deep water inundating low-lying neighbourhoods, including Hafezghona, Kalaghata, Kyangchingghata, Balaghata, Barishal Para, the riverside Marma Bazar area, Kashem Para, Member Para and Lemujhiri in Bandarban municipality. Thousands of residents have been forced to leave their homes and seek refuge in shelters, at relatives' houses, or on nearby hills and in forests.
According to the district administration, a total of 220 emergency shelters have been opened across the district -- 46 in Bandarban Sadar, 28 in Ruma, 19 in Rowangchhari, 15 in Thanchi, 15 in Alikadam, 55 in Lama and 42 in Naikhongchhari.
Bandarban Deputy Commissioner Saniul Ferdous said, “The district administration is working to ensure food and other essential assistance for families staying at the 220 shelters. However, delivering relief quickly to people stranded in remote and isolated areas remains the biggest challenge.”
