Bay of Bengal (India & Bangladesh): Storms - Sep 2005

Executive summary

Comprising 45 countries in South Asia, East Asia, Southeast Asia and the Pacific, the region is home to more than half of the world's population, the majority of whom are poor and among the most disadvantaged in the world. Some 600 million women, men and children in the region live below the USD 1 a day poverty line, while 1.8 billion survive on less than USD 2 a day. Compounding the situation, the region is also highly disaster-prone. The diversity, scale and frequency of natural disasters in the region are daunting.

U.S. AGENCY FOR INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT
BUREAU FOR DEMOCRACY, CONFLICT, AND HUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCE (DCHA)

Total Appeal Target : US$ 750,000

"This year has been a year like no other for humanitarian action, bracketed by devastating disasters, - the Indian Ocean Tsunami in the final days of 2004 and the South Asia earthquake of October 2005, on top of the worst hurricane season in living memory - and stretching all humanitarian agencies to their maximum capacity and beyond." (Introduction of Humanitarian Appeals 2006- 30 November 2005)

The Salvation Army has been working to relieve the suffering of the inhabitants of the 1009 km coastal belt of the southern Indian state of Andhra Pradesh, which was hit by a cyclone at the end of September.

The incessant rain during September and October, which came on the back of a five year draught, caused severe flooding to areas already struggling due to the effects of the draught.

The Salvation Army has been working in ten of the most affected areas of the state, setting up community kitchens and distributing cooking sets, food and blankets to approximately 11,000 people.

Dhaka (dpa) - At least 35 people have been killed in a raging epidemic sparked by contaminated water which has infected thousands of residents in rain soaked towns and muddy villages across Bangladesh, government health officials said Monday.

HYDERABAD, India, Oct 15 (Reuters) - Heavy rain and strong winds have killed at least 22 people in southern India this week and another 10 were feared dead, many of them washed away or electrocuted, officials said on Saturday.

Eleven people, including four women, were killed along the coast of Andhra Pradesh state over the past 24 hours while 11 others have died in neighbouring Tamil Nadu since Wednesday.

Another 10 people were feared dead in Andhra Pradesh, as the region was hit by heavy rains triggered by a depression in the Bay of Bengal, officials said.

The state's cyclone …

Appeal Target: US$ 467,312

Geneva, 30 September 2005

Dear Colleagues,

Cyclone Pyaar is the first cyclone of the 2005 monsoon season to have hit the Andhra Pradesh on India's west coast on Tuesday, 20 September 2005. At least 83 people are reported to have died. Hundreds more people remain missing. Property has been severely damaged, as has the communications network, as heavy rains battered most parts of the state. The unprecedented rains, have paralysed normal life completely and has damaged thousands of acres of crops.

Victims of India's devastating floods are set to receive =A32 million of humanitarian aid Gareth Thomas, the UK Minister for International Development, announced today.

Immediate relief in the form of: blankets, oral re-hydration salts, medicines to combat diseases stemming from contaminated water, provision of safe water, sanitary facilities and surveillance systems to reduce disease outbreak are to be provided to people in the severely-affected areas of Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra that experienced the heaviest rainfall on record.

MUZAFFARNAGAR/UDDAMSINGHNAGAR: Incessant rains over the past week have submerged several villages in Uttar Pradesh, forcing villagers to take shelter in government buildings and schools.

A comprehensive status report on the flood situation in different parts of the country is given below:

INDIA METEOROLOGICAL DEPARTMENT

During last 24 hours, fairly widespread rainfalls with very heavy falls at a few places have occurred over Uttaranchal. The rainfall is likely to continue for another 24-36 hours and is likely to extend eastwards to east Uttar Pradesh and Bihar subsequently. Rainfall has reduced significantly over Gujarat State, Konkan, Goa and Coastal Andhra Pradesh where scattered light to moderate rainfall have been reported.

The Salvation Army is providing aid to thousands of people affected by the cyclone that hit the Andhra Pradesh region of India. In many places villages were isolated and their inhabitants had to be evacuated by the military. It is estimated that 50,000 people have been displaced in Andhra Pradesh, with thousands more affected along the west coast of the country.

In spite of great difficulties, Salvation Army personnel have distributed rice rations and cooked food for up to 20,000 families, after wading through deep water to distribute emergency rations.

Geneva, 23 September 2005 The cyclone has claimed 56 lives, according to official reports. However, unofficial figures put the death toll closer to 100. Communication has been severely disrupted and roads cut off in many places. Train services have also been brought to a halt, as tracks were submerged by the floodwaters. Traffic has been diverted as the River Krishna flooded National Highway 9.

NEW DELHI, Sept 23, 2005 (Xinhua via COMTEX) -- The flood situation in India's Andhra Pradesh state deteriorated further Friday as the heavy rains triggered by cyclonic storms inundated more areas of the state, and the death toll mounting to 75, Indo-Asian News Service (IANS) reported from capital city Hyderabad.

According to IANS, the water level of Krishna and Godavari, the two principal rivers of the state, rose further leading to flooding of more villages.

HYDERABAD, India, Sept 23 (Reuters) - Helicopters and boats distributed food, water and medicines on Friday to hundreds of people stuck on rooftops in an Indian state after a storm caused severe flooding, officials said.

Large areas of the southern coastal state of Andhra Pradesh were still inundated after the powerful Bay of Bengal storm crossed India's eastern coast on Monday, and they feared a spike in cases of malaria, diarrhoea and other diseases.

"We are concentrating on providing medical supplies especially for children, aged people and women to prevent the spread of …

Summary of the present situation:

Geneva, 22 September 2005 Cyclone Pyaar is the first cyclone of the 2005 monsoon season to have hit the Andhra Pradesh on India's west coast on Tuesday, 20 September 2005. At least 56 people are reported to have died, with unofficial sources putting the death toll closer to 100. Hundreds more people remain missing. Property has been severely damaged, as has the communications network, as heavy rains battered most parts of the state.

In the seven worst hit areas of East and West Godavari, Khammam, Krishna, Guntur, Nalgonda and Warangal, thousands of people's homes were flooded.

The Federation's mission is to improve the lives of vulnerable people by mobilizing the power of humanity. It is the world's largest humanitarian organization and its millions of volunteers are active in over 181 countries.

In Brief

This Bulletin (no. 01/2005) is being issued for information only, and reflects the status of the situation and information available at this time.

A comprehensive status report on the flood situation in different parts of the country is given below:-