12.5 lakh people marooned in Noakhali floodwater

Flooding in Noakhali district has worsened due to the continuous heavy rainfall leaving as many as 12.5 lakh people stranded in five upazilas across the district. 

As of Sunday, over 40,000 people have taken refuge in shelters, according to the district administration.

The affected upazilas are Noakhali Sadar, Chatkhil, Begumganj, Sonaimuri, and Senbagh. Among them, 200,000 people in Chatkhil, 470,300 in Begumganj, 170,000 in Sonaimuri, 315,000 in Senbagh, and 110,000 in Noakhali Sadar are trapped by floodwaters.

Begumganj Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Md. Arifur Rahman reported that in 16 unions and one municipality, 154 shelters are currently housing 5,550 men, 6,200 women, 5,120 children, and 380 individuals with disabilities. 

Noakhali District Relief and Rehabilitation officer Md. Zahid Hasan Khan said that heavy rains worsened the flood situation, with the number of people in shelters increasing from 35,441 on Friday to 40,661 over the last two days.

District Commissioner Khandaker Istiak Ahmed confirmed the availability of Tk 29.5 lakh in cash, 51.5 metric tons of rice, baby food worth Tk 10 lakh, and animal feed worth Tk 10 lakh. He also mentioned that additional requests for relief supplies have been sent to the relevant authorities to aid the flood victims.