BANGLADESH: At least 487 people drown in South Asia's worst flooding in years

Hungry victims of South Asia's worst flooding in years complained on Tuesday (August 7) that help was yet to reach them. At least 487 people have drowned, died from snakebites, hunger or water-borne diseases, or have been crushed to death or electrocuted, since devastating monsoon floods submerged swathes of the subcontinent downstream from the Himalayan mountains. The floods have affected around 30 million people in India and about 20 million in Bangladesh, where 164 people have died. Aid agencies added that food was not reaching places where it was needed most and there were far-flung villages which remained cut off for more than a week. At a relief camp in Bangladesh, Geetiara Shafia Chowdhury, a government advisor, turned up with only 300 aid packets, leaving hundreds more people empty-handed. "We still do not think that we need help from foreign countries because we have got enough strength in our own country," she said. "If there is a need, and any friendly country wants to come and give us anything, we will accept that also." Before leaving she told those who hadn't received aid to be patient, and that they would get the help they need. Bangladesh health authorities were struggling to cope with thousands of diarrhoea cases, and insufficient medicines, beds and staff in hospitals. Health officials said 2,500 patients suffering from diarrhoea were admitted to crammed hospitals in the past 24 hours, while local media reported more than 100,000 people were suffering from water-borne diseases.

ITN Source | August 7, 2007

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