In Bangladesh, monsoon causes at least 50 deaths and thousands of displaced people

Flash floods and landslides, fueled by monsoon rains, have claimed at least 50 lives in Bangladesh over the past week, forcing tens of thousands to flee their homes. The southeastern district of Chattogram has been the hardest hit, with authorities reporting that 29 of the victims were buried by landslides. Two people remain missing, and approximately 35,000 individuals have sought refuge in government-managed centers.

The country, a low-lying nation crisscrossed by rivers, is inherently susceptible to flooding and landslides during the monsoon season. Scientists warn that climate change is intensifying both the frequency and severity of these events. The army and border guards are currently engaged in delivering vital supplies like food and potable water by boat to communities cut off by the widespread inundation.

Conditions for those displaced are dire, with shortages of clean water and food exacerbating the crisis. Many residents find their homes and kitchens submerged, creating extremely difficult living situations. The monsoon's impact has also been felt in the Rohingya refugee camps in Cox's Bazar, where heavy rains last week caused landslides, resulting in at least 15 deaths among the over 1.2 million refugees living in overcrowded, deforested hillside settlements.

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At least 50 people have died in the district of Chattogram, the most affected, and 29 of them were buried by landslides.

One poignant example of the disaster's impact comes from Chattogram, where Mohammed Forkan's family could not fulfill his dying wish to be buried alongside his parents. The local cemetery was submerged, forcing his nephew, Nizam Uddin, to place his uncle's body on a bamboo raft and swim in search of dry land for burial. They eventually managed to bury him on state land and held a small funeral prayer.

Authorities have established around 4,000 shelters for the displaced population. However, the ongoing crisis highlights the vulnerability of densely populated, low-lying regions to extreme weather events, a situation scientists link to the escalating effects of climate change.

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We placed my uncle's body on a bamboo raft and swam alongside, looking for a place that was not underwater.