Rapid Response Payment No. 13/2007
Funds Sent To: Churches Auxiliary for Social Action (CASA) / United Evangelical Church in India (UELCI)
Amount Sent: US$ 24,388 (CASA), US$ 25,001 (UELCI)
Date: 29 June 2007
Details of Payment
Emergency: Severe Flooding and flash floods in Andhra Pradesh, Karanataka and Kerala
Date of Emergency: 24/25 June 2007
Implementing Partner: CASA partners in Andhra Pradesh: Andhra Pradesh Council of Churches, CSI Diocese of Rayalaseema, CSI Diocese of Nandyal, Community Development Society (CDS) and the Brethren Institute of Rural Development (BIRD). Partners in Karnataka: CSI Diocese of North Karnataka and the Methodist Church in India. Partners in Kerala: CSI Diocese of North Kerala, Marthoma Church (Kollam-Trivandrum Diocese) and Kerala Council of Churches.
UELCI partners in Andhra Pradesh: Andhra Evangelical Lutheran Church (AELC)
Details of the Emergency: Heavy rains triggered by a depression over the Bay of Bengal have wreaked havoc in the states of Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, and Karnataka, as well as in Maharashtra and Assam over the past four days. The death toll has risen to over 130 and thousands are displaced from their homes. In a large part of these states electricity supplies have been badly affected and hand pumps/wells have been contaminated. Livelihood sources have been severely affected with standing crops destroyed and loss of personal and public property. People belonging to marginalized sections are the worst off with few coping mechanisms. The living conditions in the affected areas and relief camps are appalling and people are not being provided basic necessities. A further depression has been forecast and further heavy rains are expected. Currently the Andhra Pradesh, Kerala and Karnataka state governments are struggling to cope with the situation.
ANDHRA PRADESH: In Andhra Pradesh the worst affected areas are Guntur, Kurnool, Prakasam, Kadapa, Rayalseema, Srikakulam, Nandyal, Karimnagar, East Godavari, Mahaboobnagar and Hyderabad. It is estimated that that 222 villages and more than 300,000 people have been badly affected. According to an official government release on 28 June at least 45 people have been killed. Kurnool district was the worst affected with 21 deaths reported, along with the evacuation of 85,000 people who are currently taking shelter in 51 relief camps. Communication facilities are badly affected and several villages are cut off.
KARANATAKA: Heavy rains particularly in the northern districts of Bagalkot, Bijapur and Raichur have claimed 43 lives and rendered about 4,500 people homeless in the last two days. Eleven relief camps have been opened in these districts to provide shelter. According to preliminary estimates, more than 1,300 houses have suffered complete or partial damages in the districts of Gulbarga, Bellary, Belgaum, Dakshina Kannada and Gadag.
KERALA: More than 43 people have lost their lives. Electricity, traffic and communications have been severely hit. The main affected areas are Palakad, Wayanad, Kollam, Kottayam, Pathth-anam-thitta, Kannur, Idduki, Ernakulam and Thiruvananthapuram. More than four thousand people have been moved to safer places. Kuttanad and other parts of Kottayam district were the worst affected and people have been evacuated to relief camps.
Proposed assistance
CASA: will provide cooked food for 5,000 affected families during a three-day feeding programme in Andhra Pradesh, Kerala and Karnataka. In view of the widespread impact, damage to property and the need for immediate relief assistance, the distribution of relief kits (clothing, blankets and other articles of daily use) will be carried out in the Kurnool District of Andhra Pradesh for 500 families in the villages of Isukapalli, Beeravolli and Bytipetta. Priority will be given to the most vulnerable sections among those affected such as women and children.
CASA staff have been deployed from other parts of the country to co-ordinate the relief operation in co-operation with the local partner churches and church-related organisations.
UELCI: will provide dry food rations (rice 10Kg, dhal 2 Kg, oil 1 kg, salt 1 kg, chilli powder ½ kg per family) to 1,450 affected families (each family has an average of 4-5 members) in Andhra Pradesh. UELCI also plans to provide one set of non-food items (one dhoti, one sari and one blanket) to 1,450 affected families.
UELCI distribution will take place in six villages in four districts is shown in the table below.
S.No / Name of the village / District / No. of Families
1 / Suddakunta Colony / Guntur / 200
2 / Piduguralla / Guntur / 150
3 / Ponnuru ST Colony / Guntur / 350
4 / Kanigiri / Prakasham / 200
5 / Bhimavaram / West Godavari / 250
6 / Munikodali / East Godavari / 300
These affected districts have been chosen for assistance as they are amongst the worst affected areas in which UELCI's implementing member church, the AELC, also has a long term presence with the communities.
The distribution of relief assistance will be conducted with the help of community volunteers, local church staff and Panchayat leaders.
Implementation Period: one month for both CASA and UELCI.
Both CASA and UELCI are coordinating together to prepare an appeal proposal into which the RRF will be incorporated and sent to the ACT Coordinating Office within the next 10 days. It is currently estimated that the appeal will include relief assistance for a further two months and some repairs to damaged schools and thatched houses for a total request of approximately US$250,000.
BUDGET (US$)
CASA: 24,388
UELCI: 25,001
(For the detailed budget, kindly visit the ACT site. Thank you.)
ACTION
The ACT Co-ordinating Office has approved the use of US$ 49,389 towards the budget from its Rapid Response Fund.
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ACT is a global alliance of churches and related agencies working to save lives and support communities in emergencies worldwide.
The ACT Coordinating Office is based with the World Council of Churches (WCC) and The Lutheran World Federation (LWF) in Switzerland.
[ Any views expressed in this article are those of the writer and not of Reuters. ]
