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. Together, these two disasters
took 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. 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 will take time, but CRS is committed to helping India
for as long as it takes.
Ramesh's Story
For Ramesh Chandra, the night of July 8 was a nightmare revisited. As rains lashed the thin walls of his house and the rising flood waters seeped under the door, he remembered a similar night three years back - the night he lost both his legs. Under the force of the deluge, the walls of his house caved in and trapped him underneath. By the time he was rescued, he had already lost the use of his legs to paralysis. Luckily, Ramesh was able to battle back and is now helping his family and community recover from the latest round of floods by delivering food kits and shelter material to villagers and organizing villagers to combat the destruction left in the wake of the flood.
Ramesh is one of the many young men and women who are working with CRS' local partners to assist communities in reconstructing their lives in the aftermath of the flash floods that struck the country this summer. Homes and personal possessions have been washed away and more than 10 million people have been affected by what has been deemed the worst flooding in 50 years. Catholic Relief Services continues to collaborate with Caritas, the Indian government, and national and international non-governmental organizations to deliver food and supplies to those in need.
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
Catholic Relief Services Responds
To date, CRS has provided food and necessities to over 75,000 families in more than 451 villages. 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 were trained by CRS and are 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.
Unfortunately, people were suffering in India long before the arrival of these two 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 responded to these emergencies by quickly moving into action to provide necessities such as temporary shelter, food and soap. Now, the agency is committed to helping the people of India recover from these disasters and rebuild their lives. Having worked in the region for more than 50 years, Catholic Relief Services remains committed to helping those in need.
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