Programme purpose: The overall purpose of the health and care programme aligns with the Global Agenda goal 2, which is to improve the Indian Red Cross Society's (IRCS) capacity in planning, to raise awareness on the preventive health needs and by responding to public health emergencies, including HIV/AIDS, through prevention, care and support by strengthening the Red Cross volunteer network.

The 2010 disaster management programme is designed around the four disaster management strategic objectives of

Amount Approved: US $60,239

Date: 26 May 2010

Details of Response

Emergency: Cyclone Laila

Date of Emergency: 18-25 May 2010

Requesting Member(s): Church's Auxiliary for Social Action (CASA)

United Evangelical Lutheran Churches in India (UELCI)

DETAILS OF THE EMERGENCY:

Since the early hours of May 18th, heavy rains and gales brought by cyclonic storm have caused widespread destruction in the south-eastern coastal areas of Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu states.

The Natural Disasters Risk Index (NDRI), released by global risks advisory firm Maplecroft, has been developed to enable businesses and insurance companies to identify risks to international assets. It is calculated by measuring the human impact of natural disasters, in terms of deaths per annum and per million of population, plus the frequency

HYDERABAD: Cyclone Laila on Friday weakened into a depression and further into a low pressure area while moving towards south Orissa even as the state government launched the task of rehabilitating about 75,000 displaced people and providing food and water to the thousands stranded in flood waters.

Despite the weakening of the system, the Met officials called for a vigil on the part of the government on Saturday as it predicted widespread rainfall over the north coastal Andhra and Telangana regions during the next 24 hours.

HYDERABAD: Andhra Pradesh heaved a sigh of relief after cyclone Laila weakened ahead of landfall about 30 km from Bapatla in Guntur district on Thursday afternoon but still left 16 people dead, flooded thousands of homes, snapped power supply in many areas and threw rail and road traffic out of gear in the coastal region of the state.

The cyclone hit the coast near Bapatla around 1.40 pm and moved on northwards by 5.30 pm. "The system is likely to weaken gradually and move initially in a northerly direction

HYDERBAD: Cyclonic storm Laila remained stationary near south coastal Andhra Pradesh as heavy rains and gales continued to batter the region for the third consecutive day on Friday, killing 27 people and inundating towns and villages.

The transport system was paralysed and electricity and communication disrupted.

Heavy downpour continued in the worst-hit Prakasam and Guntur district while Nellore and Krishna districts were also receiving rains accompanied by strong winds.

After hitting the coast near Bapatla

Under the influence of this system, widespread rainfall with scattered heavy to very heavy falls and isolated extremely heavy falls (25 cms or more) is likely over north coastal Andhra Pradesh

The current environmental conditions and Numerical Weather Prediction (NWP) models suggest that the system is likely to weaken gradually and move initially in a northerly direction and then recurve into a northeasterly direction towards Orissa.