A fast response to Asia's worst flooding in more than a decade is needed to stop an outbreak of disease, warns leading aid agency CARE International UK.
"The flooding is threatening a rapid spread of water-borne diseases, unless aid gets where it is needed most and quickly," said CARE International UK's Programme Director Raja Jarrah. "Many houses are still under water and the risk of water contamination and disease outbreak rises every day."
Severe monsoon weather has caused devastating floods effecting more than 20 million people - leaving millions of the world's poorest people homeless or marooned.
Since the flooding began more than a week ago, CARE has been on the ground, delivering aid. CARE is already working in the four countries most affected - Pakistan, Bangladesh, India, and Nepal - mobilising resources and providing emergency relief in some of the most devastated regions.
For more information please contact: Rebecca Coutts-Buys, CARE International, +44 20 7934 9334 or email coutts-buys@careinternational.org
Notes:
In Pakistan, the storm has destroyed more than 80,000 houses and left an estimated 371,000 people homeless. The lack of shelter and safe drinking water are threatening spread of disease and severe malnutrition. CARE is working in partnership with local organisations to provide high energy nutritional food, especially to women and children, and has helped install emergency sanitary facilities.
In Bangladesh, after rains left nearly half of the country underwater and threatened its capital, Dhaka, CARE joined in search and rescue operations and food distribution efforts. CARE is helping to reach 25,000 flood affected families, and plans to send 20 teams with medical supplies into the affected areas.
In Nepal, where floods and landslides have affected nearly half the country and an estimated 270,000 people, CARE has begun distributing dry food rations to some of the country's poorest communities. CARE is working to prevent the outbreak of disease and to provide clean drinking water, basic shelter materials and emergency food rations to 3,575 affected families.
In India, which has been hit with the worst floods in a decade, CARE is working with partners to provide emergency relief to more than 20,000 people in West Bengal, another 30,000 in Orissa and nearly 11,000 people in Bihar—a region where CARE is present and runs several development programs in partnership with the local governments.
About CARE International:
CARE is one of the world's largest aid agencies, working in 70 countries to fight poverty and helping more than 48 million people every year. Our long-term programmes tackle the deep-seated causes of poverty and we are always among the first to respond when disaster strikes. We remain with communities to help rebuild their lives long after the cameras have gone
[ Any views expressed in this article are those of the writer and not of Reuters. ]
