Relief money in bank as flood victims starve

I am afraid all the time, if it rains a little, I get scared. I have been trapped in the water with two babies for about a month and a half. The fear of snakes is also increasing and almost everyone in the area is suffering from diarrhea. We are living from hand to mouth somehow.

Nasima Begum from Hughli village under Damdarpur union at Noakhali Sadar upazila came up with the comments in a tearful voice while talking to Views Bangladesh.

She said that there is only water and water around. Neither she nor any of her extended family members had ever seen such rain or flood.

Nasima said, “Since the beginning of the flood, my husband Mozammel Hossain has been unemployed.”

The family of four was doing well with the income of day labourer Mozammel. But they were forced to take refuge at the shelter centre at Hughli Government Primary School with their two children in the dark of night as the flood water was rising rapidly. Several hundred other families also went with them. After living there for 12 days, Nasima's family returned home when the water subsided a little. By that time, some of their poultry including hens and ducks died. Returning home, she found that the floor was still submerged under water. Since then, they are being forced to live with their children in one corner of the bed for about a month and cook somehow in another corner.

Not only Nasima, lakhs of people of Noakhali-Feni region have never been affected by such a terrible flood in their lifetime. They have also been living inhumanely for one and a half months without getting any relief aid.

However, due to the floods that have been going on since August 26, there was a rush to collect relief at the public and private levels across the country for these unfortunate people in the country’s south-eastern region. Activists and volunteers of anti-discrimination student movement collected about Tk 12 crore in cash donated by many people and relief materials worth several crores of taka at TSC in Dhaka University.

The chief adviser also announced the creation of a relief fund of Tk 1000 crore. Although Tk 8 crore raised in TSC were deposited to that fund, no outline of how that money would be spent on rehabilitation has been thought out.

The flood victims of Noakhali and Feni have not heard about these government reliefs. Nasima also said that she got some relief at the shelter. With that and the help of the locals, they have passed about 20 days, but now they spend their days almost without eating. Even in such a situation, the water is rising again due to rain every day. If the sun shines for three days at a stretch, the water level will decrease by two inches, but one day of rain will increase the water level by three inches.

"If the water rises again and there is a flood again, we will have to die of starvation," said Nasima.

Out of the nine upazilas of Noakhali, floods occurred in all upazilas except Hatia. On Thursday (October 10), 75 percent of the flood-affected areas of Begamganj, Companyganj, Kabirhat, Subarnachar, Sadar, Chatkhil, Sonaimuri and Senbagh upazilas were under water.

People of the district say that the common people of the country have donated for the flood victims. A portion of the collected money has been spent for those affected by the ongoing floods in North Bengal. The rest of the money is kept in the bank whereas common flood-affected people of the southern region are starving.

After being informed about the relief fund deposited in the bank, Nasima said, "The money kept in the bank was donated for us. But my children are not eating.”

She also appealed to the government and authorities concerned to help in the right way when the rehabilitation starts.

The anti-discrimination student movement, however, has announced a full audit of the public relief programme. They say that the total income is 11 crore 69 lakh 84 thousand 420 taka. One crore 78 lakh 33 thousand 207 taka has been spent. Out of Rs 9.91 lakh 51 thousand 213 deposited in two bank accounts, a check of Rs 8 crore has been deposited to the Chief Adviser's relief fund.

The Anti-discrimination Student Movement, however, has announced a full audit of the public relief programme. They say that the total income is Tk 11,69,84,420 and Tk 1,78,33,207 has been spent. A check of Tk 8 crore has been deposited to Chief Adviser's relief fund and Tk 9,91,51,213 is deposited in two bank accounts.

On the other hand, according to the calculations of the Disaster Management and Relief Ministry, 21,600 metric tonnes of rice, Tk 8.69 crore in cash, 7,690 packets of dry food, 50 lakh packets of cow food and 50 lakh packets of child food have been given to the flood victims of Noakhali and Feni from the government relief fund.

Some 74 people including women and children have died in Noakhali in this terrible flood. Some 882 cows, buffaloes, goats and sheep worth Tk 36.25 crore and 2,97,915 poultry worth Tk 24.64 crore have died. The total damage to human resources, communication including roads, agriculture and fisheries and livestock is more than Tk 14,000 crore.