Written by S.M Mushfiqur Rahman and Tazrian Rahman

Alyea Khatun a 48-year-old housewife and her 57-year-old husband Mohammad Alam, live in the rural village of Vaorkot in Noakhali, Bangladesh. They once lived modestly, sustaining themselves with a cow, a calf, and an autorickshaw. Nearing old age, Alam can no longer perform laborious tasks leaving the couple dependent on their small domestic assets. Their four sons have also grown up and moved out, leaving Aleya and Alam to fend for themselves in the quietness of their empty nest. Life had always been challenging but manageable. 

However, the recent floods of August 2024 in Bangladesh, caused severe damage to their home and means of income. Like many others in the village, their tiny home was surrounded by water. The floodwater reached above their knees, causing irreparable  damage to their house. But it wasn't just the house that was ruined. The calf that they once owned was swept away in the water and the autorickshaw's battery was also damaged, depriving them of their source of income. The calf wasn't just an animal to them but a promise of hope. They envisioned a future where the grown calf would provide milk, a source of nutrition and income. Losing it felt like losing out on a promising future.
In the chaos during the flood, Alyea fell ill. Weakened by the hardship and stress, she found herself unable to recover at home. ActionAid Bangladesh came to the rescue by providing her with medical care at an emergency shelter. There Aleya was nursed back to health and AAB also provided the couple with hot meals and medication. This support helped them survive the immediate disaster, but the real struggle began after the floodwaters receded.

Now, with their home partially destroyed, they had to send their remaining cow to a relative since they no longer have space to maintain domestic animals. Damage caused to the autorickshaw has also affected their means of income and even simple tasks such as cooking has become a challenge since their earthen stove was destroyed by the flood. 

To reach waterlogged communities in Noakhali District - the most affected by the disaster –youth volunteers of ActionAid Bangladesh have braved treacherous conditions, traveling by small boats to deliver food and crucial supplies to those stranded by the floods. The Humanitarian Response team of ActionAid Bangladesh has also intervened to provide support to flood affected families and individuals like Aleya and Alam, by distributing cash support, food and clean drinking water. AAB has also made plans of developing gender specific latrines for communal use and to  ensure tubewells will provide clean and accessible water in the face of future floods. The Humanitarian Response team of ActionAid Bangladesh is also arranging trainings and workshops for the Union Disaster Committee in flood affected regions and helping them prepare community risk plans in the case of future disastrous floods. 

Alyea and Alam look toward ActionAid Bangladesh with hope. They dream of having a proper roof over their heads again – a home they can rebuild and feel safe in. Being able to purchase a new cow or repair their autorickshaw would mean the world to them. It would allow Aleya and Alam to regain a foothold in life, manage their daily food needs, and live in basic comfort as they grow old together. They have lost a lot, but still hold onto the hope that with a bit of help they can rebuild the fragile pieces of their lives.