Alert
India, Nepal & Pakistan - No. 32/2008
Heavy rains and floods in India, Nepal & Pakistan
Geneva, 21 August 2008
The following information was received from the United Evangelical Lutheran Churches in India (UELCI), the Lutheran World Federation (LWF) Nepal office, and Church World Service Pakistan/Afghanistan (CWS-P/A):
1. Brief description and impact
India: Heavy rain falls have occurred for over a week in Andhra Pradesh, Orissa and different parts of India due to low pressure and a cyclonic storm in the Bay of Bengal, resulting in flash floods in Andhra Pradesh, Orissa and other locations. The situation is worse in remote areas, where over 2,000 thatched houses and 320 roads have been damaged and over 5,000 hectares of crops destroyed in Koraput and Jeypore sub-division, Orissa. As a result, more than 300 people are reported to have died in different parts of Andhra Pradesh and Orissa. People's lives have been seriously affected, with agriculture paddy crops submerged in water. Thousand of families are homeless and have relocated to upland areas. They are in an extremely vulnerable situation without food, shelter, and clothing. Most of them are from Dalit and tribal communities.
Nepal: A flood disaster occurred in Sunsari District in South Eastern Nepal in the evening of Monday, 18 August 2008. The flooding was caused due to the breach of an embankment along the western side of the Saptakoshi River. The flood was sudden and more than 50,000 people are affected. The number of people who have gone missing is yet to be ascertained.
Pakistan: Rajanpur District in Punjab was struck by recent heavy rains, which, along with hill torrents, have affected lives and property. Some 375,000 persons are believed to live in the flooded areas. Current floods have damaged the cotton crop which was about to be harvested, thus causing serious impact to economic patterns of the local communities. Some 530,000 acres of land, including 200,000 cultivated acres, have been affected.
2. National and international response
India: So far there has been no international response to these floods in Orissa and Andhra Pradesh, in the operational areas of the United Evangelical Lutheran Churches in India (UELCI) - member churches AELC and JELC. The government and local authorities are providing food to the affected people but did not cover all the flood-affected villages.
Nepal: Some rescue and relief operations from the government and Red Cross are underway. Oxfam, Caritas, World Vision, Save the Children, UNHCR, and WFP are conducting rapid assessments, and some have begun to distribute relief materials.
Pakistan: The government is providing food to the people through airdrops as well as by road, and is extending health services with the help of some international organizations. SCF-US, Oxfam-GB and Care International are all active in the area.
3. ACT International response
India: ACT members in India have not yet responded. The UELCI is planning a response. UELCI has informed ACT India members LWS(I) and CASA about this flood situation in Andhra Pradesh and Orissa.
Nepal: The LWF Nepal Rapid Assessment Team from the Eastern Region rushed to the affected area on 19 August 2008 in order to assess the situation and the specific emergency roles the LWF Nepal could play with the affected population. LWF is yet to receive their report. Telephone, mobile, and internet connections between Kathmandu and the East are not functioning at the moment.
Pakistan: CWS-P/A carried out a Rapid Needs Assessment to the affected area, and produced a Flood Assessment Report. Immediate needs include food, shelter, wheat seed, fertilizer, hand pumps and hygiene kits. It is noted that an RRF, "Floods in Pakistan - Peshawar District and Khyber Agency", was issued on 9 August 2008, for an amount of US$ 59,872.
4. Planned activities
India (UELCI): In Andhra Pradesh and Orissa 7 districts, 92 villages, and 3500 families are planned to receive food and non-food items. The package of assistance and relief per family is planned as follows: food items (10 kg rice, 2 kg dal, 1 litre oil, ½ kg salt, ½ kg red chilli); and non-food items (men's wear, women's wear and blankets).
Nepal (LWF): Planned activities await the results of the ongoing assessment being carried out by LWF. The assessment report will be forwarded when completed. LWF Nepal is planning to render assistance to the disaster-affected persons in Sunsari District, focusing on life-saving needs.
Pakistan (CWS): A proposed Appeal is being put together, following the Rapid Needs Assessment.
The ACT CO awaits further information and proposals from members in the three countries.
Any funding indication or pledge should be communicated to Jessie Kgoroeadira, ACT Finance Officer (jkg@act-intl.org).
(ends)
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. ]
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