SWAT: As relief activities continue in the flood-hit areas here, a group of local women has stepped forward to help affected families with cleaning the mud and debris from their houses.

In Makanbagh, Landeykas, Bangladesh and Mulababa, women volunteers are visiting houses, helping families clean the mud and sand left behind by the floodwaters, and providing essential food and non-food items.

Their efforts have offered both practical assistance and emotional comfort to those struggling with the aftermath of the natural disaster.

Samreen Subhan, who leads one of these women’s teams, said the immediate post-flooding need was cooked food and drinking water.

“Our team distributed meals and water, and hired people to help clean the houses of flood victims. Once basic needs were met, we provided non-food items and hygiene kits to women,” she told Dawn.

Volunteer, lawyer and social activist Neelam Chatan emphasised the psychological toll the disaster had taken on women.

“When I met them, they [affected people] were in deep trauma. Initially, my role was to provide psychological support, and then with my team we distributed food packages, clothes and other daily-use items,” she said.

Ms Chatan said that her team continued to provide emotional assistance alongside relief supplies to help women recover from the crisis.

She said the efforts of those women volunteers highlighted the often-overlooked role of grassroots female leadership in humanitarian response, offering not only relief but also resilience-building in the aftermath of natural disasters.

Published in Dawn, September 1st, 2025