Six month update: Bangladesh’s most devastating floods in decades
Six months on, BRAC is still standing with victims of Bangladesh’s most devastating flash floods in decades. Together with your support, we’ve made great progress: But urgent long-term needs remain.
BY SARAH ALLEN
In late August, devastating flash floods struck Eastern Bangladesh, wreaking havoc on lives and livelihoods. Impacting 5.8 million people in 11 districts, the impact was striking.
It was the worst instance of flooding the country had faced in three decades.
BRAC’s team of first responders immediately sprung into action, with more than 5,000 staff supporting families in affected areas.
At the onset of the flood emergency, teams orchestrated boat rescues and food deliveries. They launched floating medical clinics, and reached patients facing critical skin, waterborne, chronic and non-communicable diseases, along with mental health challenges.
As the floodwaters receded, their work expanded to meet a wide variety of community needs, with teams stepping in to provide health care services, repair broken tube wells and ruined homes, and help farmers replant crops and restore livelihoods.
Your impact, by the numbers
Thanks to a generous outpouring of support from donors like you, BRAC has reached thousands of families affected by the flood emergency with comprehensive support.
BRAC first responders prepare health items for a mother and her child affected by the flood emergency.
Your impact has been powerful.
- 118,948 people received access to emergency health care services in the first wave (through the end of September), and 211,019 received care in the second wave through late November
- 1,001 homes that had been damaged by the floods were repaired, providing shelter and safety for families
- 14,838 tube wells were disinfected, and repaired when needed, restoring and expanding access to safe water
- 1,084 latrines were reconstructed, ensuring access to sanitation services and reducing the spread of disease
- 10,800 families received vital agriculture inputs and support to help their farms recover and boost their families’ food security
- 1,940 people whose livelihoods were impacted by the floods received support to help restore their income
Over the past six months, your impact has been felt far and wide in communities across Eastern Bangladesh.
But as the situation evolves, the needs are shifting.
Boost your impact and reach families in need. Your support can make all the difference.
Urgent long-term needs remain
BRAC’s immediate response to help meet families’ most pressing needs is winding down. But the needs for long-term recovery support remain.
Our colleagues in Bangladesh say that there is a significant need for long-term support, with many families still working to repair to homes, schools, and road infrastructure.
Finally, many families have faced dire impacts to their sources of income. For example, many farmers crops were decimated by the floods, threatening their abilities to earn a living. Some farmers, like Rozina, have bounced back with BRAC’s support. But countless more still need urgent support to repair their livelihoods. 
A farmer impacted by the floods surveys her now thriving farm after receiving support from BRAC.
Challenges continue
Our humanitarian teams are also facing new challenges as they look to support more recovering families.
The flood emergency took place in the immediate aftermath of the youth reboot in Bangladesh. And, as global funding and support for the flood response dwindle, these funding constraints are further challenges.
Plus, more climate shocks threaten the progress we’ve already made. The hot season is approaching, and recovering families are likely to experience severe heat. Last April, Bangladesh saw extreme heat shut down schools and cause widespread impacts on health and livelihoods. And the hot season will die down only to make way for monsoon season, where heavy rains are likely to cause more floods.
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KAM Morshed, Senior Director at BRAC, shared his experience visiting communities in Eastern Bangladesh last week on LinkedIn.
“At first glance, recovery seems largely complete. Most wreckages are gone. Children are back in school; most medical centers are open. Life moves forward. But behind those smiles of people we met lie stories of anguish and uncertainty.
“The sudden flood devastated livelihoods, and its impact still lingers. Some have fought their way back through homestead gardening, home-based tailoring, or small businesses… Hope flickers. Yet survival has come at a cost… If disaster strikes again, they fear nothing will be left to rebuild.
“Naively, I asked [community members], ‘Aren’t you planning for the next flood?’ A woman’s response cut deep: ‘We don’t have the headspace to plan—we’re too busy fighting to survive.’ That moment hit hard. Those of us who have the space to think must act. We cannot shift the burden onto communities already on the brink.”
A BRAC team member repairs a tube well. Repairing critical health and hygiene infrastructure continues to be an ongoing need in the aftermath of the flood emergency.
Your support can make all the difference
You can support families who are still being impacted by Bangladesh’s historic floods: and help them build back better.
BRAC’s proven solutions help families build resilience and weather future shocks. But they need your support. Give now to help families impacted by the flood emergency recover, build stability, and prepare for the future.