The European Commission has approved emergency humanitarian aid worth euro 4.65 million to help victims of extreme weather conditions in India. In the Western states of Rajasthan and Gujarat, the impact of the third consecutive year of severe drought is still being felt despite some recent rain. Meanwhile, in the East, heavy rains and flash floods have devastated - in successive waves - eleven north-eastern and eastern states, with Assam, Bihar, West Bengal and Andhra Pradesh among the worst hit. In the flood-affected areas, the most urgent priorities for ECHO have been to boost the food security of the affected communities and improve water supplies and sanitation. In some areas, where people have lost their homes, the emphasis has been on providing temporary shelters. In drought-stricken zones, the main objective is to reduce malnutrition and the risk of food insecurity among marginalised groups. Support is focused on remote areas of Rajasthan and on the Kucch district of Gujarat. This assistance is channelled through the EU Humanitarian Aid Office (ECHO).