Terrible flood of 2024
The catastrophic floods of 2024 in Bangladesh have been described as some of the worst the country has experienced in decades, with millions of people affected across various regions. The flooding was particularly severe in the eastern and southeastern districts, including areas like Feni, Comilla, Noakhali, and Habiganj. Starting in August 2024, the floods were triggered by excessive rainfall due to a depression over the Bay of Bengal, causing rivers like the Meghna to overflow and inundate vast areas of farmland, homes, and infrastructure.
Approximately 5.8 million people were impacted, with over a million being cut off from vital resources such as food, clean water, and electricity. More than 500,000 individuals were displaced, taking shelter in temporary evacuation centers. The flooding also destroyed over 339,000 hectares of crops, severely disrupting the livelihoods of farmers, and led to the closure of 7,000 schools, affecting 1.75 million students. In the southeastern district of Feni, for example, over 350,000 residents were left without electricity due to damaged power lines.
Rescue and relief efforts were complicated by damaged roads, communications breakdowns, and ongoing rain, but organizations like BRAC mobilized over 5,000 staff members to deliver emergency aid, including dry food, drinking water, and medicine. NASA’s Disasters Program and the Bangladesh Meteorological Department worked together to monitor the situation using satellite imagery to assess the extent of the flood damage.
The floods have drawn comparisons to some of the worst in Bangladesh’s history, with many experts describing them as a consequence of both natural weather patterns and the broader effects of climate change, which has led to more intense monsoon seasons in the region. Humanitarian efforts continue, with organizations calling for global support to assist in the recovery and rebuilding of the affected areas【15†source】【16†source】【17†source】.
