20 July 2020, Kurigram, Bangladesh - Mst. Lebu Begum, 38, hails from Shakhahati village of Chilmari upazila in Kurigram district. She lives with her husband, who sells tea and other items at Puratan Jorgach Bazar, and four children. She recalls how floods are an annual occurrence, forcing them to live in shabby conditions whenever there is a flood. ?We receive relief aids every now and then. But even that runs out after some time. No one offers us work. It becomes very difficult for us to make ends meet, which intensifies whenever there is a flood.? In an innovative approach to dealing with the effects of severe flooding in Bangladesh, the United Nations is using the latest in data and predictive analytics to forecast the next major monsoon floods, gauge likely impacts ? and take action ? before possible disaster hits.
On 4 July a high probability of severe flooding was forecast for mid-July along the Jamuna River in Bangladesh, with one-third of the area's total population likely to be affected. That warning was the trigger for the UN to immediately release $5.2 million from the Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) to help communities urgently prepare and protect themselves.
The money went to three participating agencies ? the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) to enable them to prepare to distribute cash, livestock feed, storage drums, and hygiene, dignity and health kits.