Young volunteers are leading rescue teams helping women and girls hardest hit by catastrophic flash floods in Sylhet
Now 24, Ahmed, from Mirabazar, is a volunteer for the Bangladesh Red Crescent, where she is part of a team leading rescue and relief operations during the current crisis.
One such problem is a lack of adequate toilet facilities in shelters for menstruating women and girls. “There are no proper washrooms so when they get their periods, they don’t have access to disposal bins or space to change,” says Ahmed. She describes the cramped conditions of the shelters, with multiple families living under the same roof and only one shared bathroom. The provision of sanitary towels in emergency packages is often overlooked, so Ahmed is making sure they are included.
For the past year and a half, Jeba, from Shahi Eidgah, has been involved in crisis response planning – so when the recent floods struck, she was ready. She was pivotal in making sure those most at risk made it to safety, including children, elderly people and pregnant women. All the emergency shelters nearby were full, so Jeba offered shelter in her own home. “It was the least I could do,” she says. “But I worry what will happen if she goes into labour. Hospitals are currently inaccessible due to flooding.”Photograph: Anadolu Agency/Getty Imageswomen are pregnant in the affected region, with more than 6,500 births expected to take place in July.
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