Bangladesh HCTT Coordinated Needs Assessment (CNA) Floods in Northeast (Haor) areas of Bangladesh, April-May 2017 Report date: 20 May 2017 Photo: CNA Team, Netrokona Md. Yousuf Ali, Director-MIM, DDM, Email: [email protected] Contact for Inquiries: Mahbubur Rahman, ERPC, CARE, Email: [email protected] Floods in Northeast (haor) areas of Bangladesh April-May 2017 Contents Background to the assessment ......................................................................................................................................... 2 Key Findings: Summary ..................................................................................................................................................... 2 Context of the Northeast (Haor) areas of Bangladesh ........................................................................................................ 7 Key Vulnerability characteristics of six affected haor districts ............................................................................................ 8 Situation Overview ......................................................................................................................................................... 10 Aggravating Factors ........................................................................................................................................................ 13 Assessment Methodology ............................................................................................................................................... 14 Food Security ................................................................................................................................................................. 18 Livelihoods and Income .................................................................................................................................................. 20 Market access ................................................................................................................................................................ 24 Access, Infrastrucure and Early Recovery Concerns ......................................................................................................... 24 Communication .............................................................................................................................................................. 25 WASH ............................................................................................................................................................................. 27 Shelter & NFIs................................................................................................................................................................. 30 Health ............................................................................................................................................................................ 32 Nutrition ........................................................................................................................................................................ 33 Education ....................................................................................................................................................................... 35 Gender Based Violence (GBV) ......................................................................................................................................... 37 Child Protection .............................................................................................................................................................. 40 Acronyms ....................................................................................................................................................................... 42 Annex A: Team composition ........................................................................................................................................... 44 Annex B: SADD by Upazila ............................................................................................................................................... 46 Annex C: D-Form Database ............................................................................................................................................. 48 Annex D: Needs Analysis (Worst affected location and Population) ................................................................................. 51 1 Floods in Northeast (haor) areas of Bangladesh April-May 2017 Background to the assessment Heavy rainfalls as well as runoff from the upstream hills in India have led to early flooding of vast areas of croplands of haors and low-lying areas of northeast Bangladesh. Flooding started on 28th March and gradually affected six districts (Habiganj, Kishoreganj Moulavibazar, Netrokona, Sunamganj, and Sylhet). Rising water overflowed and breeched embankments in many places and inundated vast areas of cropland, damaging a significant number of houses and impacting the lives of more than 30% of the population of these six districts. As agricultural land in this region remains under water for a large part of the year, there is only one cropping season in the haors and this early onset flooding destroyed the 2017 crop of Boro rice (the primary crop) at its blooming stage, 20-30 days before harvest. The daily Dhaka Tribune has estimated, based on Ministry of Agriculture’s calculation, that the country may lose around 800,000 MT of Boro rice this season1. Standing water has been contaminated by rotten paddy and plant and a large number of fish and ducks have died2, although the exact cause is, as yet, unknown. Distress selling of livestock as a negative coping mechanism has already been reported. This loss of the primary crop, together with the associated loss of income for agricultural labourers and the loss of fish, will create severe food insecurity on top of the high underlying poverty in the area unless assistance is received. The Department of Disaster Management (DDM) requested this assessment which was supported by the Humanitarian Coordination Task Team (HCTT). As per HCTT’s request, the Needs Assessment Working Group (NAWG) developed a plan and presented at HCTT. With some revision the plan was adopted and a “Coordinated Needs Assessment (CNA)” was initiated under the leadership of DDM and functional coordination of CARE Bangladesh. Key Findings: Summary Overall impact The haor areas of northeast Bangladesh are almost entirely single cropped areas with the majority of the communities dependent solely on the boro3 rice crop cultivated from October to May. Significantly heavier rainfall and runoff from India caused early flooding across more than half the haor area, destroying the rice crop, fodder and killing fish and ducks. It is estimated4 that 4,667,000 people in 450 Unions (out of 530) in 60 Upazilas (out of 62) have been affected (to varying degrees) in the six districts of Sunamganj, Sylhet, Netrokona, Kishoreganj, Habiganj, and Moulvibazar. With 65% of its population affected, Sunamganj district is worst hit followed by Netrkona (33%) and Sylhet (25%). Approximately 21% of the population is affected in the other districts. Situation at a glance People affected 4,667,000 (31% of population in affected area) Districts affected 6 districts (Habiganj, Kishoreganj, Moulvobazar, Netrokona, Sunamganj, Sylhet) Sunamganj is worst affected Upazilas affected 60 (out of 62) Unions affected 450 (out of 530) Deaths 105 Boro rice crop Largely destroyed (estimated to be more than 30,400 million BDT4) Fodder Serious losses Fish Serious losses due to contaminated water People affected 4,667,000 Houses damaged 28,037 Negative coping strategies Already reported reduction in food intake and in variety of food 1 http://www.dhakatribune.com/bangladesh/nation/2017/04/08/flash-flood-haors-may-worsen-rice-price-hike/ 2 Shifting the Power Needs Assessment Report, April 2017 3 Boro rice season: winter cropping season in Bangladesh extending from October to April 4 DDM, D-forms, 11 May 2017 5 NDRCC report, 11/05/2017 2 Floods in Northeast (haor) areas of Bangladesh April-May 2017 Overall key priority needs The priority need identified by both men and women in all 27 locations was for immediate food assistance. Most of the communities assessed reported that almost all households in the affected areas have lost most or all their food stocks and have adopted negative coping strategies. Most have also lost a significant proportion of this season’s (i.e. this year’s) income. Negative coping strategies such as reducing food intake or selling livestock and poultry are being used. People are likely to be forced into more desperate coping strategies if alternative income or sustained assistance is not available. Feed for livestock and assistance with livelihoods support were the second priorities in almost all locations. In ten sites, inadequate sanitation facilities were reported as a priority. This was a key area where some difference could be noted between the male and female group responses. Women found sanitation to be more of a concern than men and this could be related to or lead to protection concerns.. Although the sample size was small, this is in line with other recent flooding events in Bangladesh. Access to safe drinking water was identified as a priority in five of the six sites in Sylhet, but not prioritised elsewhere, although it was highlighted as an issue in half the assessed sites overall.