Water has started to recede from the flood-affected south-eastern districts after 12 days. The glimpse of familiar towns and houses can be seen. People who took shelters in other places have started returning home. But most of the things are damaged. Hundreds of thousands of people in Cumilla, Feni and Noakhali regions feel that the main challenge is to repair the damage and start over again.
Due to the upstream floods coming from India and continuous heavy rainfall, nearly 2.1 million people in Noakhali and Feni districts are now trapped by floodwaters. The flood-affected areas are facing severe shortages of clean water and food. The crisis is compounded by a lack of food and the menace of snakes, leaving the flood victims in a dire situation, with many spending sleepless nights. The flooding, which has persisted for over a week, has rendered hundreds of thousands of people homeless. Pregnant women and children are suffering the most, with a shortage of baby food, health risks for pregnant women, inadequate sanitation, and a lack of women's hygiene products intensifying their suffering. Additionally, the lack of balanced nutrition in the relief shelters is also a major concern. Views Bangladesh reporters have surveyed the flood situation in various areas of Noakhali and Feni and are providing this firsthand account.