Bangladesh Floods Displace 40,000, Force School Closures

Flooding in Bangladesh has ravaged homes, leading to school closures and the displacement of tens of thousands, according to the disaster and relief ministry on Tuesday.
Around 40,000 individuals have sought refuge in government shelters, and over 600 medical teams are in place to aid flood victims, the ministry reported.
“Bangladeshis are accustomed to floods, but the rapidly rising waters in low-lying areas are forcing people to seek shelter on anything available, including rafts made from banana trees,” stated Liakath Ali, head of the climate change program at BRAC.
The local meteorological office warns of more rain in the central and southern regions, although the engorged Brahmaputra river may start to subside in the coming days.
The annual monsoon rains, beginning at the end of May, have led to extensive flooding in India and Bangladesh in recent years.
In India’s Assam, just north of Bangladesh, floodwaters are receding, offering some relief to the approximately 48,000 people in shelters. In the past 24 hours, six deaths have been reported due to rain and flood-related incidents, bringing the state’s death toll to 72 since May.