ReliefWeb

KUALA LUMPUR, 22 AUGUST 2017 – With the recent flood devastation that hit Northern districts of West Bengal on 16th of August this year resulting one third of Bangladesh under water, MERCY Malaysia will be deploying its team on Friday, 25th August 2017 as Bangladesh’s worst flooding in years.

Severe heavy floods caused by monsoon rains has sent an alarm to the international community with more than 100 people reported dead and 5 million affected, as well as 531,517 houses damaged in 24 districts, leaving large displacement of civilians affected to relocate to temporary shelters. The ongoing floods expanded into one third of the country’s district have result severe water level rise and water contamination. Given to the said situation, this has caused water-borne disease cases to spike up. With water and sanitation system broken and no access to proper hygiene and sanitation as well as no access to clean water as most of tube wells have gone under floodwater, the displaced community risk exposure to various water-borne diseases such as acute watery diarrhea, respiratory infections, skin diseases, typhoid, eye infection, jaundice, fever and headaches. The concern that lies ahead for MERCY Malaysia is the exacerbation of water-borne diseases during post-flood.

With the continual crisis still occurring and heavier rain is forecasted to occur in the coming days, the situation is expected to worsen as swollen rivers carry the flood water from upstream India into the low-lying and densely populated Brahmaputra delta. With some areas still inadmissible due to flooding along with fear of more landslides occurring, death tolls and the number of civilians affected is expected to rise. Most of the agricultural lands have gone under water and destroyed all the crops. Most of the victims were drowned while some others were died of snake bites and as their homes collapsed on them.

MERCY Malaysia expresses its deep concern over the safety of civilians affected by the severe flood that hit Bangladesh. “Following the floods, there are significant concerns about the possibility of disease outbreaks, with affected people facing challenges in accessing adequate clean water and health care. This is fast becoming one of the most serious humanitarian crises... urgent action is needed. With the increasing number of displaced people and lack of space in safe locations, ensuring access to WASH water sanitation and hygiene are much needed. Disease surveillance and vector control is also a priority with the risk of communicable diseases. Over the past few months, health partners have recorded a significant increase in water-borne diseases,” said MERCY Malaysia’s President Dato’ Dr. Ahmad Faizal Perdaus.

Align with our mission in providing health-related humanitarian aid for vulnerable communities regardless of race, religion, culture, political affiliation, or geographic boundaries, in disaster-stricken situation as its main mandate, MERCY Malaysia in response will be deploying our Rapid Assessment Team (RAT) to Bangladesh consisting of one (1) MERCY Malaysia staff along with one (1) medical volunteer and one (1) logistics volunteer in order to initiate to assess the needs on the ground and prepare for further assessment for recovery phase and further intervention according to our capacities and mandate in view of the latest situation, for two (2) weeks commencing on 25 August to 7 September 2017. The assessment team will be working on the ground in Dhaka and other selected districts in Bangladesh, conducting water distribution to ensure the affected community has access to clean drinking water. The team will be working with and supporting our international partner Dhaka Community Hospital (DCH) Trust based in Dhaka.

In view of the emergency response and recovery phase which will require much resources and support, MERCY Malaysia is calling for the public in this urgent appeal to help further its humanitarian reach to civilians affected by contributing to our Bangladesh Relief Fund by donating through our website at www.mercy.org.my or to our bank account at

MAYBANK: MERCY Humanitarian Fund ACC NO: 5621 7950 4126 Swift Code: MBBEMYKL

CIMB: MERCY Malaysia
ACC NO:8000-7929-08
Swift Code: CIBBMYKL

ENDS

For more information, please contact:
Syahirah Sulastri Asman, Communication Officer, MERCY Malaysia
E: syahirah.asman@mercy.org.my T:+603-21422007 (Ext: 244) M:+6019 228 3634
Nur Shahira, Communications Assistant, MERCY Malaysia E: shahira.nasir@mercy.org.my T:+603-21422007 (Ext: 250) M:+6019 377 4873