20 July 2020, Kurigram, Bangladesh - Mst Shantona Begum, 30, hails Shakhahati village of Chilmari upazila in Kurigram district. She lives with her son and daughter, while her husband works for a living in Chittagong. Whatever he sends home is used to meet their expenses. But the floods have prevented markets from setting up, leaving a food crisis. ?Those with no money suffer during the floods, but those also with money experience similar crisis as there is nothing to buy and stock up on<' she lamented. 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.