Torrential rain and upstream water completely submerged around 94 percent of the town of Sunamganj and 84 percent of Sylhet districts in northeastern Bangladesh.

A shift in strategy from responding to recurring shocks to anticipating their effects has the potential to break the cycle of increasing reliance on humanitarian aid by protecting the most vulnerable and their livelihoods ahead of time. It can help manage crises in a more efficient and dignified way.

The FAO in consultation with the Regional Integrated Multi-Hazard Early Warning System (RIMES), the Flood Forecasting and Warning Centre (FFWC), and other stakeholders, developed a pre-monsoon anticipatory action response plan for the Haor region under the 'Increasing Capacities and Scale for Anticipatory Action, including Through Social Protection Systems Project' which is funded by the European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations (ECHO).