SINGAPORE, 6 July 2022 – Mercy Relief, Singapore’s leading independent disaster relief agency, is responding to the South Asia flash floods that have struck the north-eastern districts of Bangladesh and India.
Due to continuous heavy rainfall since 17 May 2022, the north-eastern districts of Sylhet and Sunamganj in Bangladesh and the state of Assam in India have been experiencing flash floods and landslides that have affected more than 7 million people in the two countries combined.
According to the Flood Forecasting and Warning Centre (FFWC) in Bangladesh, within a month, 94 percent of Sylhet and 84 percent of Sunamganj were submerged. With major regional highways and access roads underwater, connectivity and transport to the affected areas have been blocked, resulting in a delay in assistance. Even though officials have said that the main flood situation is improving gradually, they still worry and are bracing themselves for a rapid spread of water-borne diseases and are in urgent need of clean drinking water for people stranded in their homes. Telecommunication operators have gone into emergency mode, trying to restore their networks in hopes of helping restore swift communications thereby enabling authorities to provide much needed assistance.
In India, as of 16 June, the Brahmaputra River has been flowing above the danger level and approximately 1.1 million people across 35 districts in the affected state of Assam have been gravely affected. About 145,700 individuals have been evacuated to relief camps, while more than 121,200 houses have been damaged or destroyed completely. Efforts by the local authorities are underway, however, due to the heavy rainfall, highways, roads and bridges around the worst-hit regions remain closed off as a result of landslides and rising water levels. Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma stated that several units of the National Disaster Response Force were rushed to Silchar to carry out rescue operations as the situation worsened by virtue of the severity of the rising water levels in the Barak and Kushiyara river.
Mercy Relief has sent a team to Bangladesh and will be working alongside our ground partner, Human Aid Bangladesh Foundation (HABF), to provide and distribute emergency relief assistance in the form of food and medical aid to the worst affected and most vulnerable families in the Sylhet and Sunamganj districts. As for the affected regions in India, Mercy Relief will be working closely with our ground partner North-East Affected Area Developmental Society (NEADS), remotely.
“Our thoughts are with the people and families affected by the flash floods in India and Bangladesh,” Angelina Ong, Executive Director of Mercy Relief. “It is deeply concerning to see so many left stranded without a home, and it is our duty to help those in need to provide emergency relief aid so that the survivors are empowered to continue with their lives as smoothly as they can. Mercy Relief will continue to work closely with our ground partners to supply the necessary help to all in need.”
Mercy Relief will be launching a public fundraising appeal in Singapore from now to 6 August 2022. Members of the public may make their donations via the following channels:
Credit Card donation via Mercy Relief’s website: https://www.mercyrelief.org/donate/ Crossed cheque made out to “Mercy Relief Limited”. On the back of the cheque, please indicate “South Asia Flood Relief 2022”, name and email address of donor, and mail to Blk 160 Lorong 1 Toa Payoh, #01-1568, Singapore 310160. Fund transfer to Mercy Relief’s DBS Current Account 054-900742-0.
Crowdfunding for “South Asia Flood Relief 2022” via: Giving.sg: https://www.giving.sg/mercy-relief/southasiafloodrelief2022 Give.asia: https://give.asia/campaign/south-asia-flood-relief-2022#/ SimplyGiving: https://www.simplygiving.com/appeal/southasiafloodrelief2022
For media queries, please contact:
Brittanie Bartlett
Executive, Corporate Outreach and Resources
M: 8726 3393
E: brittanie.bartlett@mercyrelief.org
About Mercy Relief
Headquartered in Singapore, Mercy Relief was established in 2003 to respond to human tragedies and disasters in Asia Pacific. Today, we are Singapore’s leading independent disaster relief agency with dedicated leadership, capacity building expertise and an affiliate network operating across the entire disaster management cycle.
Mercy Relief provides emergency aid within 72 hours of an appeal in the aftermath of a disaster. Our longer-term sustainable development programmes aim to uplift and empower communities in five key areas: Water and sanitation, healthcare, shelter, sustainable livelihoods, and education.
Since inception, Mercy Relief has responded to more than 80 human and natural disasters across 26 countries, with more than $45 million disbursed in relief operations. We have implemented more than 72 post-disaster projects and impacted an aggregate of over 2.7 million lives.
For more information about how Mercy Relief transforms lives in Asia Pacific, visit http://www.mercyrelief.org/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MercyReliefOfficial
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mercy_relief/
Mercy Relief Limited
Blk 160 Lorong 1 Toa Payoh, #01-1568, Singapore 310160