20 July 2020, Kurigram, Bangladesh - Mst Nasima Begum, 24, hails from Shakhahati village of Chilmari upazila in Kurigram district. She lives with her son, parents and brother. She separated from her husband three months ago. Floods pose a big problem for her family ? living, sanitation and hygiene problems. She was forced to sell off her chickens and ducks to make ends meet. Asked what could alleviate her problems, she said if her house was well above water level, maybe it could save her house and her crops. 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.