NEW DELHI: Responding to the massive floods across Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Assam, CARE India is reaching out to over 18000 flood survivors with shelter and WASH items in the affected areas.
Over the next few days, CARE India is planning to reach out to over 60,000 survivors with Shelter, Hygiene and dignity kits in the worst affected areas in the three states.
CARE India conducted a rapid assessment in two of the worst affected districts of Uttar Pradesh – Shravasti and Baharaich. The team is also closely monitoring and assessing the emergency situation in Purnia and Araria districts of Bihar.
All these districts are severely affected and are areas where CARE India has a strong presence.
In Assam, where CARE India does not have any programmes, post assessment, it is responding with Hygiene-come-Dignity kits to over 2500 people in Morigaon District. The team is distributing clean delivery kits in the area to pregnant ladies to ensure safe birth in case they are unable to reach health facility in time.
The devastating floods have claimed over 200 lives till now and displaced millions. People have been forced to leave their homes and take refuge in shelter homes and rescue camps set up by the state government.
Ravikant Upadhyay, Team Leader, Assam Flood Response says, “The situation in the villages in Assam is extremely grim. The embankment of the river in many areas has been breached forcing over 400 families to stay in extremely unhygienic conditions. There is a sense of fear among the people regarding their survival.
Most people have lost everything including important documents. Schools and Anganwadi centres are submerged under 8 feet of water. Overall, the flood survivors are very worried and in dire need of support.”
Rajan Bahadur, MD & CEO, CARE India said, “All these districts are severely affected and are areas where CARE India’s programmes are present. Initial assesment revealed huge loss of shelter, crops, livestock and public infrastructure including transport. We are responding with Shelter and WASH items in the affected areas, and targeting the worst affected families in each state. We have already reached out to 3000 people with Dignity kits in Assam’s Morigaon district, and the second round of assessment for any more emerging needs in underway. There is specific need of dignity items i.e. clothes for women and adolescents as household goods have been washed away. There is also urgent need of sanitary items for women, lactating and pregnant women need proper care.”
Heavy showers have triggered fresh wave of floods in Assam, Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. As many as 20 states have been affected during the current southwest monsoon season. 600 people have lost their lives, 24,811 cattle heads have perished, 63,215 houses/huts damaged and about 2.8 lakh hectare of crop reportedly affected. In the last three days, nearly six million people have been affected by the floods across 17 districts and 3641 villages in the state of Bihar.
In Uttar Pradesh an alert was issued to 40 districts and 4286 people were sheltered in 103 relief camps. Flood engulfed almost the entire Assam affecting a total population of 17,43,119 peoples across 26 districts in mid-July.
The flood also claimed 83 human lives besides the massive devastation it caused on human habitation displacing as many as 1,31,899 people.
