2 million children at risk of severe floods: UNICEF

More than two million children in eastern Bangladesh are now at risk as homes, schools and villages are inundated by ongoing floods in eastern Bangladesh. 5.6 million people have been affected by this worst flood to hit the eastern part of Bangladesh in the last 34 years.

UNICEF informed this information in a press release on Friday (August 30).

Unprecedented heavy monsoon rains are flooding major rivers in the southeastern part of the country, UNICEF said. As a result of which more than 52 people have died so far. More than five lakh people of Chittagong and Sylhet divisions are looking for a little shelter; Houses, roads, fields and fields have been submerged in the flood water. Millions of children and their families are stuck in water, without food or any essential relief items. Government officials and volunteers are continuing rescue operations but reaching some areas has proved difficult. As the monsoon rains continue, more people are expected to be affected in the coming days.

Emma Brigham, UNICEF's deputy representative in Bangladesh, said the floods in eastern Bangladesh highlight the severity of the impact of extreme weather events and the climate crisis on children. Many children have lost loved ones, lost their homes and schools; They are very helpless.

He also said that since the beginning, UNICEF has been actively providing emergency supplies including water purification tablets and oral saline. But more funding is needed to reach all children and prevent the devastating impact of this ongoing crisis on children's futures.

Since the onset of the disaster, UNICEF has been working in the affected areas. UNICEF in collaboration with Hasan Arif, Advisor to the Ministry of Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives conducted the initial verification phase. Together with the partners, UNICEF has so far reached more than 338,000 people, including 130,000 children. Among these people, they distributed various life-saving materials such as 3.6 million water purification tablets, 25,000 jerry-cans for water retention, and more than 250,000 bags of oral rehydration salts. But much more needs to be done beyond these.

Disaster-affected people and children urgently need cash assistance, safe drinking water, hygiene materials (hygiene kits), emergency latrines, sanitary pads, oral rehydration salts (oral saline) and emergency life-saving drugs. Primary health care to treat sick newborns and children and essential services to enable pregnant mothers to safely deliver their babies need to be put in place immediately.

Disasters such as the recent floods in Bangladesh, floods in the northern part of the country and Cyclone Remal in May have all come very close. Due to the three emergency situations, more than 1.3 million people including 5 million children have been affected in the whole of Bangladesh.

As part of the immediate response program to address these three emergencies, UNICEF requires US$35.3 million to conduct emergency, life-saving and multi-sectoral activities for affected children, pregnant women and lactating mothers.

Climate change has increased the number, intensity and uncertainty of cyclones, floods and other extreme weather events that have also affected Bangladesh. For this reason, the climate crisis is fundamentally referred to as a child rights crisis. According to UNICEF's Children's Climate Risk Index, children in Bangladesh are among the most vulnerable to climate and environmental risks in the world.

Globally, UNICEF tackles the climate crisis by:

a) By protecting the lives of children and ensuring their health and welfare.

b) By helping each child develop the capacity to adapt to the environment. And

c) By reducing carbon emissions and environmental problems.

Brigham said that the lives of millions of children in Bangladesh are being disrupted by floods, heatwaves and cyclones year after year. Climate change is definitely changing the lives of children.

Before it is too late, we call on global leaders to act urgently for children and take concrete steps to mitigate the effects of climate change on their lives, he added.

Bangladesh /FM