Attend to flood victims' miseries

For almost a week now, people in Sylhet have been passing through an uncertain time after the region has been hit yet again by flash floods. The reports coming in paint a bleak picture: scarcity of food and little access to potable water. The worst-hit areas have seen people marooned, living on puffed rice and unsafe water. Crops have been destroyed, and for hundreds of families, their Eid holiday has been a time of misery. Communication links have been snapped, stranding many. Thankfully, there have been signs of the rain abating, and hopefully the water levels will now come down.

There have been efforts by the government and non-government groups to provide some relief. The government must take stock of the ground realities, and instead of standardised distribution of relief items, take the needs of the affected into account. There needs to be special attention given to areas where there is no access to safe water and where food supplies are drying up.

We must remember that the affected communities will be needing long-term aid to get back some semblance of order in their lives. For many, loss of crops and lack of access to fodder for their livestock could prove disastrous for their livelihood. Even when the waters do abate, the risk of diseases and other sanitation concerns will remain—care must be taken to address these. Our immediate efforts should also focus on re-establishing communication lines and ensuring relief is being provided to all those affected. But after we deal with the immediate task at hand—ensuring safety and food security—we should take time to evaluate if we could have been better prepared for the rains and thereby averted the disaster through timely measures.