RELIEF supplies for people in the flooded east, south-east and north-east well after a week of flooding appear to be going largely uncoordinated as infants are reported to be suffering for the shortage of food. In the relief operation visibly carried out by private entities and quarters that lack enough logistic support to reach remote areas, food distributed for the infants mostly included biscuits and bananas which infants six months old or so cannot eat. As mothers taking refuge in flood shelters and at other safe places are reported to be going half-fed, they cannot produce enough breast milk. Public officials supervising some flood shelters in Cumilla have already reported a situation where infants were crying for food. Infants are also reported to be bearing the brunt as much as the elderly do in flood shelters for lack of basic hygiene and mosquito bite. Most infants have caught cold and are running temperature as they cannot easily access medical treatment. The areas under water also keep facing a shortage of fodder, making it difficult for the flood victims to feed the cattle that they could take along when they hurried to safety as water started flooding the districts.
The disaster management and relief ministry says that it has so far distributed Tk 45.2 million in cash aid. The government has distributed 20,650 tonnes of rice, 15,000 packets of dry food and Tk 7 million equally halved for food for the infants and fodder. The volume of relief supplies appear inadequate in view of the number of people having been affected. Official reports say that the number of flood victims increased by 200,000 in a single day to reach 5.8 million in all as more areas are going under water while the number of people stranded has also increased to 1.23 million. Water receding from the areas that have already been flooded for about a week also warrants an urgent medical attention as people are falling ill, especially with cold and fever. Any delay in working out and executing plans for medical attention could spell disaster as disease usually break out when floodwater starts to recede. Relief supply efforts still appear a patchwork as there has been no direction from the authorities on how and where to put emphasis. Whilst people easy to reach have received supplies, as reports show, people in hard-to-reach areas still struggle because of dearth of relief supplies. In places where food supply has been adequate, medical supplies appear in short supply. Types of supplies have also been in disarray as is the case with the food for infants and fodder for cattle.
The government must, in such a situation, first and foremost, coordinate relief supplies based on area-wise priorities and put in efforts in this direction. The government must assess the situation and the needs of the victims early and plan the relief efforts based on the findings. It must also work out the mid-term plan in advance to face the situation in the coming days.
