1,200 people have died and 43 million people have been hit by the monsoon rains and heavy flooding in the South Asian nations of Bangladesh, India, and Nepal so far. Families have lost their homes and crops, and the number of casualties is likely to increase over the coming days.
Oxfam is providing over 186,000 flood-hit people with clean drinking water, food supplies, emergency shelter, hygiene kits, and other essentials. As the crisis continues, we will work to support more people and help them recover.
While some flooding is normal during the monsoon season, for most of the communities hit this level of flooding is unusual and unheard of. Oxfam staff in Bangladesh are reporting that two-thirds of the country is under water and in some areas the flooding is the worst since 1988.
Oxfam is working with flood-hit communities and local partners. Paolo Lubrano, Regional Humanitarian Manager Asia, said:
“We have been building the capacity of people to cope with and recover from disaster, and to prevent these crises in future. This will only be possible if international agencies work with local people and put them at the center of the response.”
