Flood water recedes in Sylhet, sufferings continue

The flood waters have receded in different parts of Sylhet city. The flood waters have also receded in Sunamganj. However, flood waters in Habiganj have flooded 12 new unions. The plight of the people in the flood-hit areas has not abated. A food crisis has occurred in these areas.
The flood waters have receded in different parts of Sylhet city. Although the water level of the Surma River flowing through the city has decreased, the water level of other rivers has increased at some points.
Nur Azizur Rahman, the Chief Engineer of Sylhet City Corporation, said that
pure drinking water and dry food are being provided to the shelters from the city corporation. Apart from this, the relief materials allocated by the government are being delivered to different wards.
As many as 47 people have died in the flood situation in Sylhet and the highest number of deaths has been reported in Sunamganj. According to Sylhet Divisional Office of the Health Department, 26 people died in Sunamganj, 17 in Sylhet, 1 in Habiganj, and 3 in Moulvibazar. A maximum of 20 of them drowned. The second-highest number of 14 people died due to lightning in the flood-affected areas.As many as 75 families took shelter in nearby Sultanpur, Gangpar Hati and surrounding areas of Sunamganj Government College on Friday morning due to the floods. Visiting the college Friday afternoon, it was seen that most of the families have not returned home yet. The members of these families are in two rooms. The families have accommodated them by sharing on the floor of the auditorium. Cooking and eating are going on inside the house.
The same picture was found by visiting five more shelters in the city. The situation is similar in different villages at the Upazila level. Many are unable to return home from the shelter. Mortuza Ali, a resident of Manipur village in Sadar Upazila, said people are now thinking of home. People do not have money. I can't go home without the help of the government.
Besides, no government relief is available in the shelters of Sylhet. A visit to M Saifur Rahman Degree College in Companiganj Upazila of Sylhet revealed that about 150 flood-affected families were sheltered in four buildings of the college till last Thursday. As the water receded, some families left the shelter. Helena Begum (30) one of the refugees, said she had received khichuri only once in the previous four days till last Wednesday. The rest of the time was spent by eating flattened rice or any other dry food. A Baby in her lap, she's just crying, and Helena is trying to stop her from breastfeeding. She said her child was not getting enough milk. Her stomach is not filled, so she is crying. She is not well fed by herself, how does she can fill the child's stomach? Talking to the families staying at the shelter, they said that most of them have not received any government relief in the last seven days.
However, when asked why government relief did not reach there, Companiganj Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Lucy Kant Hajong told on her mobile phone on Thursday night that government relief had been sent to the college's shelter through the local union council chairman. He has sent at least six to eight more private aid organizations to the college.
Meanwhile, M Saifur Rahman Degree College office-bearer Yunus Ali told that flood-affected people started taking shelter there since June 15. But there was no official relief or food aid. Only one local union council member has given relief to 10 families who are voters in his area, that's only rice.