Bangladesh Floods

As my departure date (which I still haven't been able to solidify because my Fulbright documents still haven't arrived) draws nearer, I am getting more and more anxious about my trip. I've been following the stories about the devastating floods in Bangladesh and East India over the past few weeks. True, Bangladesh is essentially a giant river delta and it floods every year as the Himalayan snows melt into the country's 1000 rivers, but this flooding is the worst in recent history. Thankfully the water is beginning to recede, so the millions of people marooned and left homeless can begin their long trek home--that is, if there is any "home" to return to. The more impending fear now is of an epidemic of water-bourne illnesses, such as cholera and dysentery, not to mention the wave of malaria that is likely in the coming months. With uncontaminated food and water in short supply, you could imagine the humanitarian crisis that's on the horizon.

It's heart breaking because the people who suffer the most during these times are the poorest and most desparate. I remember driving through the countryside last year packed in a "minibus" and seeing half-sawed off canoes dotting barren jute fields every twenty yards or so. I wondered what they were for a while, and then it occurred to me that these were people's homes. It pained me to think that in a few months, those lands would be completely submerged by water, and the families of 5 or 10 or 15 would have nowhere to go. I'm glad there are so many organizations doing relief work, including BRAC. I hope I can be a part of the effort while I'm there.

To read more about the floods, go to BBC News: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/3530532.stm

Also, if you're interested in donating any amount to help with the flood relief effort, visit: https://secure.ga3.org/02/oxfamamerica