The torrential monsoon rains have caused catastrophic floods and massive landslides in seven districts of southeastern Bangladesh, world agencies reported, citing data from the Ministry of Disaster Management and Relief in the country. At least 44 people have been confirmed dead, and over a million residents remain stranded in their homes without access to electricity and communications. About 268,000 households have been affected by the water element.
The situation is most dire in the Chattogram region, where broken roads and destroyed bridges are seriously hampering humanitarian missions. An emergency situation has also been registered in the refugee camps near Cox's Bazar. It is home to more than a million Rohingya refugees, whose makeshift shelters on deforested hills were swept away by landslides that killed 16 people. According to Reuters, Bangladeshi army and navy personnel have been mobilized to deliver drinking water, dry food and medicine by boat to the most isolated communities. Scientists warn that climate change is making monsoon rains in South Asia increasingly intense and unpredictable.