Food, Work Shortage Hits Kurigram Flood Victims Hard

People in the flood-affected areas in Kurigram are complaining of a shortage of food and government assistance as they are struggling to survive and worry over a bleak future, UNB reports.

The flooding of large areas of the district created another issue – the lack of food. The situation might force farmers to sell cows at nominal prices ahead of Eid-ul-Azha.

Houses have been flooded in several places, causing hundreds of residents to sleep under the roof. In fact, many citizens are dying of malnutrition because they have not provided enough humanitarian assistance.

Since the coronavirus outbreak in early March, economic activity in the country has almost stopped. And when the floods hit floods a few weeks ago, flooded fields and disrupted communications, there was little work left for people to support their families who have no option but to fully rely on government and other food aid.

Kurigram Deputy Commissioner Mohammad Rezaul Karim said that so far 190MT rice, cash Tk 0.9 million, cash Tk 0.2 million for baby food, Tk 0.4 million for feed and 6,000 packets of dry food have been distributed among the flooded residents.

Yet many complained that they had not received adequate assistance.

Meanwhile, Kalipodo Roy, fisheries and livestock officer of the district, said fishes worth Tk 75 million in over 2,000 ponds and water bodies were washed away. The deputy-director of the Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) said standing crops of 10,000 hectares were damaged.

‘Have nothing to eat’

The Brahmaputra River flowed 73 cm above its danger line at Chilmari point and 60 cm at Nunkhawa point, while the Dharla River flowed 45 cm above its red mark earlier in the day.

It is projected that 300,000 residents in 60 unions of nine Upazilas have been marooned, while the 70-foot district of Burirhat and Gaburhelan spars in Rajarhat Upazila have been flooded by heavy currents.

Approximately 2,000 houses have been lost to the river throughout the area, whereas 50,000 houses have been destroyed. According to the District Health Service sources, over 40,000 tube-wells of the district have gone underwater, sparking a pure drinking water crisis.

“We’re living an inhuman life for the last month. We’ve no work and food. We didn’t receive any relief from the local chairman and members. Besides, we could not go out of home because of coronavirus,” said Manser Ali, a resident of Jatrapur union in Sadar Upazila.

Entaz Ali said that he and his family and domestic animals had been staying on the Kurigram-Jatrapur road for the last 15 days. 

“We don’t have food for ourselves. How are we supposed to manage fodder for the animals?” he asked.