Flood-Hit People: Relief hard to come by amid pandemic

The volume of relief and food aid distributed by individuals and private organisations among the flood victims has significantly reduced this year.

The poor response from individuals and private organisations might have caused for coronavirus, said locals in the flood-hit areas.

Many individuals and business institutions have been making less profit and incurring losses due to the pandemic. Thus, they were less interested in distributing relief, they added.

Also, a large number of affluent people do not want to go out of their houses to minimise the risk of being infected with Covid-19, they further added.

Meanwhile, at least 11 rivers across the country were flowing above the danger level yesterday.

At this time when thousands of people remained marooned in northern and northeastern regions, fresh areas in districts adjacent to the capital were feared to be inundated.

In Lalmonirhat and Kurigram, no Non-Government Organisation (NGO) and individual was seen in the flood affected areas.

Sadek Ali, 66, a flood victim at Sardob village in Kurigram Sadar upazila, said individuals and NGOs previously offered them help with dry food, candle, fire box, soap, saline, lamp, and kerosene oil.

"None of them came forward to help us this year," he said.

Echoing Sadek's statement, Sekendar Ali, 50, of Lalmonirhat town's Thanapara, said he used to distribute relief among the victims in the previous years but he did not go out this year considering the Covid-19 situation.

In Pabna, Baser Pramanik, of Betil Char in Sirajganj's Chowhali upazila, has been marooned for over a month now but nobody reached him with relief.

Mentioning his expectations of relief from NGOs, he said none came forward this year to help them.

In Sunamganj, the situation was quite similar.

Mohammad Ful Miah, chairman of Gourarang union, said he saw no private initiative to help the victims this year.

"The help that is coming from the administration is not sufficient. Private initiatives could help the victims," he said.

In Nilphamari, Dimla and Jaldhaka upazilas were the worst affected. People there were suffering immensely as a second spell of flood hit them.

Moynul Islam, chairman of worst flood hit Tepakharibari union in Dimla upazila, said 18 voluntary organisations and individuals generously came forward to help the victims in the previous year.

"But this year, the picture is different. Probably because they want to keep themselves away from aid programmes due to the fear of Covid-19 infection," he added.

In Jamalpur, solvent individuals, private or social organisations, political leaders and other were yet to come out to help the flood victims due to the virus outbreak.

In Bogura, around 1 lakh people are directly affected by flood in three upazilas -- Dhunat, Sonatala and Sariakandi.

Thousands of flood victims are yet to get relief for the first time either from the government or any private individual or organisation.

Asor Ali, 55, another flood victim, said, "Even the government did not distribute relief among us. They did not even visit us for once."

Touhid Parvej Biplob, a local businessman, said they used to distribute relief every year, but this time they were unable to provide relief goods.

Biplob said, "I tested positive for coronavirus. Plus, we have no fund to buy relief for the flood affected people."

Meanwhile in Munshiganj, the Padma was swelling up to the danger mark, posing a risk of inundating to nearby localities.

Our Lalmonirhat, Pabna, Bogura, Sylhet, Nilphamari and Jamalpur correspondents contributed to this report.