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Millions affected by floods in South Asia

(New York: 7 August 2007): In-country United Nations agencies and programmes are working with the governments of flood-affected India, Bangladesh and Nepal, where tens of millions of people are in urgent need of various kinds of aid, including temporary shelter, fresh water, food and medical supplies, after being hit by severe floods over the past two to three weeks.

"It is important that countries in flood-prone regions work together to manage the impact of seasonal flooding, and to take shared steps to prepare against future floods," said John Holmes, Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, in noting the regional nature of this current emergency. "The United Nations reaffirms its readiness to work with countries and assist in any way possible."

In South Asia, the flooding has affected nearly 40 million people so far this season, which has been the worst in many years. So far, flooding in eight states across India has caused nearly 1,300 deaths and disrupted the lives of over 31 million people. Some 2 million hectares (4.9 million acres) of crops have been damaged, and over 500,000 homes were damaged or destroyed. The United Nations is coordinating water and sanitation activities in support of the Government. In addition, the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), through its non-governmental organization (NGO) partners, has provided flood relief supplies in India's Bihar State, near the border with Bangladesh.

Some 7.6 million Bangladeshis have also been affected by the recent floods and 128 have died, as water from the Ganges-Padma and Brahmaputra-Jamuna Rivers continues to rise in the country's northeast and central regions. Some 4.2 million flood victims are in areas near the capital, Dhaka, where more than 200,000 are living in temporary shelters. UNICEF, the World Food Programme (WFP) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) are providing help with logistics, nutrition and early recovery. UNICEF has distributed 16 million water purification tablets.

In Nepal, floods and landslides in the south of the country have resulted in over 90 deaths and have affected over 330,000 people. More than 21,000 families have been displaced. The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs is facilitating international assistance through information management and mapping. At this stage, most humanitarian relief is being channelled through the Nepal Red Cross Society, and the United Nations is supporting the Government's district disaster relief committees, the Nepal Red Cross Society (NRCS) and NGOs in conducting assessments. UNICEF and the International Committee of the Red Cross are providing plastic sheeting and water purification tablets, while the WFP is providing food rations for 10,000 families for the next three months.

For further information, please call: Stephanie Bunker, OCHA-New York, +1 917 367 5126, mobile +1 917 892 1679; Dizery Salim, OCHA-New York, +1 917 367 9262; Elisabeth Byrs, OCHA-Geneva, +41 22 917 2653, mobile, +41 79 473 4570. OCHA press releases are available at http://ochaonline.un.org or www.reliefweb.int.

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