India was just beginning to recover from
the devastation of January's powerful earthquake in Gujarat when heavy
rains in July brought destruction to Orissa, India. Then, last month, more
heavy rains forced officials in Andhra Pradesh, in southern India, to open
floodgates unleashing a rush of water strong enough to destroy homes and
lives. In addition to those killed by the latest round of rains, some 46,000
people have been evacuated to relief camps. Together, these disasters have
taken more than 30,000 lives and left hundreds of thousands homeless and
vulnerable to diseases such as malaria and diarrhea.
It takes time for a country to recover
from destruction like this and the workload will be staggering. Homes must
be rebuilt. Food must be replaced. Whole communities will have to find
a way to start over again while families are missing mothers, fathers and
children. Reconstruction and rehabilitation work must be simultaneously
run with emergency relief efforts for those affected by the recent rains.
However, no matter how challenging the work, CRS is committed to helping
India for as long as it takes.
Recovering From the Floods
In Andhra Pradesh, India CRS has approved a $10,000 grant to purchase plastic sheeting for temporary shelter, blankets, clothing, food and medicine. CRS' partner in Cuddaph, the worst affected town, has set up three relief camps and is serving hot meals to 4,000 flood-affected people.
Items Distributed in Orissa, India (as of October 5, 2001)
- 1,327,789 lbs Rice
- 162,033 lbs Sugar
- 14,699,400 Halogen tablets
- 440,982 packets Protein biscuits
- 220491 packets Oral Rehydration Salts
- 1,403 Tarps
- 16,479 lbs Bleaching Powder
- 85,911 lbs Dried Legumes
In addition to relief efforts in Andhra Pradesh, CRS has provided food and necessities to over 75,000 families in more than 451 villages in response to this summer's flooding in Orissa, India. In addition to the initial $100,000 in aid committed by the CRS office in Calcutta, the agency also received approval for a $480,480 grant from the US Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance (OFDA) that is being used to help an additional 55,000 families in India.
Rebuilding Lives After the Earthquakes
CRS has been collaborating with the Government of Gujarat, India to coordinate relief activities in the earthquake-stricken region. General health check-ups, malaria treatment, and cattle immunization camps have all been set up with the help of the government's health department. So far, over 400 people have benefited from the camps.
Reconstruction activities have also begun in three of six target villages. A small group of master masons was trained by CRS and is now helping village residents produce bricks for their reconstruction projects. Each village will begin their reconstruction efforts by building a community center.
CRS' office in Mumbai, India also organized a Handicraft Fair in September at which residents from several villages in Bhuj, India were able to market and sell their products. The agency plans to begin a training class in embroidery soon.
Background
India is a large and diverse country suffering through multiple catastrophes. In January 2001, a powerful earthquake measuring 7.7 on the Richter scale hit the state of Gujarat in West India and Pakistan. The quake was strong enough to be felt across India, Pakistan, and Nepal. July 2001 brought severe rains, which flooded significant portions of Orissa, India and left hundreds of thousands of people homeless. Orissa is located in Eastern India and last made headlines when it suffered a super-cyclone and flooding in the fall of 1999. This fall, even more heavy rains forced the opening of floodgates in Andhra Pradesh, India and forced the evacuation of some 46,000 people into relief camps.
Unfortunately, people were suffering in India long before the arrival of these catastrophes. Three years of severe droughts have troubled both the Indian state of Gujarat and Pakistan. Many farmers had already lost their crops and much of their livestock to the drought before the earthquake struck.
Collaborating with local and international organizations, as well as with the government, CRS has responded to these emergencies by quickly moving into action to provide necessities such as temporary shelter, food and soap, and the agency is committed to helping the people of India during the years to come as they recover from these disasters and rebuild their lives. CRS has been working in India for more than 50 years.
Donations can also be made by calling: 1-800-736-3467
or by sending checks to: P.O. Box 17090 Baltimore, Maryland 21203-7090.
Copyright=A92001 CRS