The unprecedented severity of the recent torrential monsoon rains and runoff from the hills did indeed catch both the government and the victims of the natural calamity quite off guard. The main factors that contributed to the surprise and delayed response include record-breaking rainfall. For instance, in Chattogram city which experienced 412.3 mm of rainfall in just 24 hours, recorded its highest single-day July rainfall in 42 years. As reports go, the flash floods have left around 1.1 million people stranded in 43 districts across the country. Preliminary government estimates report losses amounting to about Tk 4.0 billion to fisheries and livestock, with over 114,000 hectares of cropland damaged. The seven worst-hit districts include the three hill districts, Cox's Bazar, Chattogram plus Moulvibazar and Habiganj. The devastating floods reportedly claimed at least 56 lives. Over 260,000 families were reportedly marooned during rising waters as authorities raced to deliver aid to devastated communities. While the government's emergency relief and recovery initiatives throw crucial lifelines to affected communities, critics and environmental experts argue that the response has been basically reactive rather than proactive.
Doubtless, the response to the disaster could be speedier, more focused and effective had the government's disaster response wing's policy been based on a long-term structural planning rather than one of emergency management. Arguments aside, the urgent tasks before the government and the well-meaning relief and succour-giving organizations would be to first reach relief to the communities in remote areas, who have not yet received any help either from the government or from any private humanitarian bodies. Also, it is time, the government shifted its flood response to a well-coordinated post-flood rehabilitation and health-crisis phase. The primary focus to meet health-related crisis would be to prevent epidemics from water-borne diseases and vector-borne illnesses (e.g., cholera, diarrhoea, dengue) as the floodwaters have been receding and communities returning home. Specific, localised interventions would include ensuring that mobile medical teams are dispatched to the worst-hit upazilas and districts.
Meanwhile, leaves for doctors, nurses, and health workers in flood-affected regions are required to be cancelled to ensure 24/7 hospital and clinic coverage. The good news is that the health ministry has reportedly instructed the doctors and other health personnel to remain on duty in 11 flood-affected districts in eastern Bangladesh to ensure uninterrupted healthcare services. It would be still better if the coverage could include more affected districts than reported. To ensure prompt response to the emerging emergencies, the health authorities should maintain robust field stocks of essential medicines, oral rehydration salts (ORS), water purification tablets, and anti-snake venoms. Most importantly, special priority has to be given to pregnant women, infants, and the elderly to ensure that they are relocated or provided maternal and child healthcare. These are about the urgent interventions related to healthcare and disease control. However, for achieving the desired results, the government would do well to coordinate its relief and rehabilitation efforts as well as healthcare interventions in a way that would avoid overlap to achieve optimum outcomes from its efforts. To that end, the government should implement a multi-tiered, sector-specific damage assessment strategy. Immediate priorities, in this case, should include using 'food for work' and 'cash for work' programmes, and distributing seeds and fertilizers to farmers to prevent agricultural setbacks.
To recover from economic shocks, victims in the agricultural and small enterprise sectors should receive targeted government relief. Standard support packages should typically include emergency cash assistance, low-interest rehabilitation loans, utility rebates and direct distributions of feed, seeds, or vaccines. And rapid veterinary interventions should include free or subsidized mass vaccination campaigns (e.g., for foot-and-mouth disease) and mobile veterinary clinics. However, it is now a race against time to respond to post-flood healthcare and rehabilitation needs. Hopefully, the government with whatever resources it can muster must act fast.
