Begum's family, in a desperate attempt to protect their limited belongings, secured their sole suitcase to their home, a rudimentary shelter made of bamboo and banana leaves built after the previous destructive flood in the region just two years prior. When the floodwaters rose, the house became isolated in muddy waters, forcing the family to prepare meals on a raised dry area nearby. Unfortunately, tragedy ensued when Begum left her one-year-old daughter, Lamia Khatun, on a higher patch of land while she washed clothes in the floodwaters on Tuesday. However, the water levels continued to rise. Begum, age 32, recounted how she returned to find that the woman was no longer there, and hours later they discovered her lifeless body. In southern Asia, over 4 million individuals have been severely impacted by monsoon floods, resulting in the destruction of homes, villages, and structures. The monsoon season, typically from June to September, is crucial for South Asia's agricultural economy but has recently brought cyclones and catastrophic floods, leading to the displacement of millions in low-lying areas, especially in Bangladesh. Last year, the United Nations reported that at least 600 people were killed and over 25 million were affected by flooding caused by heavy monsoon rains in Bangladesh, India, Myanmar, and Nepal. In 2017, over 1,000 individuals lost their lives in floods in South Asia. The heaviest rainfall occurred in northeast India, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Myanmar, and Nepal. The Southeast Asia Flash Flood Forecast System, associated with the United Nations, reported on this. The flooding in Bangladesh began in late June and is expected to continue, affecting more areas. Enamur Rahman, the Bangladeshi minister for disaster management, described the situation as the worst in decades. Hundreds of thousands of families have been stranded, leading to the opening of over 1,000 emergency shelters. Rahman stated that all available resources were being utilized to combat the catastrophe. Researchers predict that this year's rains and floods will last longer, posing a threat to Bangladesh's land as sea levels rise due to climate change. This could displace up to 18 million people in a country with a population of over 160 million. India has also been severely affected, with floods hitting states like Assam, Bihar, Odisha, and West Bengal, causing at least 85 deaths and impacting over 3 million individuals. In Assam, Kaziranga National Park, a World Heritage site home to the vulnerable one-horned Indian rhinoceros, has been completely flooded. Authorities reported that over 50 animals perished in the flood, however some wildlife was saved. With over a dozen rivers and tributaries exceeding the danger level, rescue efforts have been conducted in at least 22 districts in Assam. In Nepal, 67 individuals have been confirmed dead and 40 are still unaccounted for, as per the National Emergency Operation Center. This is on top of the monsoon rains that have affected Bangladesh. A country with a population of 165 million, Bangladesh is constantly plagued by flooding due to its low-lying and densely populated areas. In Jamalpur, located in the north, the flood situation has reached a critical point, as rivers are flowing well above the danger level. Muneeb-ul-Islam, a 42-year-old resident of the area, mentioned that he has lost his home multiple times in the past decade, leaving him with only the clothes on his back. Along with his wife and three children, Muneeb-ul-Islam is part of the more than 1 million people in Bangladesh who have been displaced or rendered homeless by the floods. Feeling as though they have done something wrong, Muneeb-ul-Islam expressed that this will be the third time in recent years that his family will need to start over from scratch. Begum, who tragically lost her 1-year-old child, shared that her life has been completely devastated by the disaster. She has relocated to a nearby shelter, which is a school building, where hundreds of people are crowded together. There is a significant concern about the coronavirus spreading in such tight living conditions. Begum's family expressed that they were not given sufficient warning about the severity of the flooding. "I will never return to our previous home," she stated, "The water has taken everything from us."