Floods leave over 500,000 stranded in Cox's Bazar amid drinking water crisis

Highlights

• More than 500,000 people stranded by worsening floods
• Drinking water and food shortages deepen humanitarian crisis
• Embankment breaches inundate new areas across three upazilas
• Floodwaters disrupt highways, rural roads and communications
• Death toll in district rises to 27 in six days

Flood conditions continued to worsen across Chakaria, and newly formed Matamuhuri and Pekua upazilas of Cox's Bazar today (10 July) after six consecutive days of heavy rainfall and upstream hill runoff inundated new areas following multiple embankment breaches.

According to local administration officials, public representatives and residents, at least 50 unions across the three upazilas had been affected as of today.

Chakaria and Matamuhuri have suffered the worst damage, with around 300,000 people stranded after floodwaters submerged 18 unions and one municipality, severely disrupting transport and daily life.

Residents said the biggest challenge was the acute shortage of safe drinking water after thousands of tube wells went underwater. Many families have been unable to cook as floodwaters, reaching waist to chest height in some homes, have submerged kitchens.

Shortages of dry food, baby food and medicines have also become increasingly severe, particularly affecting children, elderly people, pregnant women and those with illnesses.

Saiful Islam, a resident of Baraitali union in Chakaria, said floodwaters had entered his home up to waist level.

"There is no way to cook. Food and safe drinking water are now our biggest concerns," he said.

Moin Uddin, a resident of Ward-3 of Chakaria municipality, said his family had remained stranded for three days.

"We cannot even find essential food for children. The assistance reaching affected people is far from sufficient," he said.

Another resident, Nazrul Islam, blamed unplanned infrastructure for slowing drainage in many areas.

"People are suffering most because of the shortage of safe drinking water and food," he said.

Makbul Ahmed of BM Char union in Matamuhuri said floodwaters had submerged homes, forcing many people to go without food.

"The drinking water crisis has become extremely severe," he added.

Fresh flooding spread to more than 100 villages after strong currents breached flood-control embankments in the Purutyakhali and Maronghona areas of Konakhali union in Matamuhuri upazila, forcing many families to leave their homes overnight.

Konakhali union Chairman Didarul Haque Sikder said more than 200,000 people across two upazilas had become stranded after the embankment failures.

Floodwaters have also submerged vast areas of Aman seedbeds, seasonal vegetable fields and hundreds of fish farms, raising fears of losses worth millions of taka for farmers and fish growers.

Road communication has been severely affected, with the Chakaria-Maheshkhali road and most rural roads remaining underwater.

According to the Bangladesh Water Development Board (BWDB), water level in the Matamuhuri River has risen to 11.94 metres, exceeding the danger level of 11.80 metres due to heavy upstream flows from Lama and Alikadam in Bandarban.

Salahuddin Ahmed, sub-divisional engineer of the Water Development Board, said several embankments had been damaged by the rising river and repair work would begin once water levels recede.

Chakaria Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Shahin Delwar said the administration remained on high alert.

"We have allocated 30 tonnes of rice and dry food, while a control room has been opened to monitor the situation," he said.

Floodwaters have also inundated sections of the Cox's Bazar-Teknaf Highway, particularly in South Mithachhari, Kathirmatha, Panerchhara and Chailyatali in Ramu upazila, where more than two feet of water is flowing over the road, disrupting the movement of smaller vehicles.

Large parts of Ukhiya, Cox's Bazar Sadar and Eidgaon upazilas also remain underwater. Residents alleged that railway infrastructure and other development works had slowed the drainage of floodwaters in several areas.

According to the district administration, 640 cyclone and flood shelters have been kept ready. Authorities have stockpiled 200 tonnes of rice, Tk10 lakh in emergency funds and around 1,500 dry food packets.

District Relief and Rehabilitation Officer Md Azader Rahman said around 96,000 people had officially been recorded as affected across the district.

He added that 19 people, including 13 Rohingya refugees, had died during the ongoing disaster. Authorities have distributed Tk1 lakh to the families of four local victims, Tk30,000 to two injured families and 555 packets of dry food, while seeking additional relief allocations from the government.

District Commissioner Md Abdul Mannan said continued rainfall could further worsen the situation and that additional relief had been requested from the government if required.

Meanwhile, a 12-year-old girl, Jharna Begum, died after being swept away by floodwaters when a boat capsized in the Rasulabad area of Baraitali union in Chakaria this morning. Fire Service personnel later recovered her body.

Her death has raised the district's six-day disaster toll to 27, including 16 Rohingya refugees, according to local authorities.