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Disaster management
Floods and typhoons in Asia in 2008
A man steers a makeshift raft through a flooded street at a village in Kalenimulla. According to the Sri Lanka Government Department of Meteorology, the rains are due to a depression in the Bay of Bengal linked to the onset of the south west monsoon.  Photo courtesy of REUTERS Alertnet www.alertnet.org) REUTERS/Anuruddha Lokuhapuarachchi (RTX6FXW)

Heavy rains, flash floods, storms and landslides continue to cause widespread devastation in many Asian countries. Across South and East Asia, volunteers and staff from the Red Cross and Red Crescent have been responding to the disasters by helping rescue people, distributing emergency relief and providing essential services, such as health care and clean water.

This year's destruction comes following two particularly harsh storm and flood seasons in 2006 and 2007, which left many poor residents struggling to recover.

Note: Information about Cyclone Nargis, which hit Myanmar on 2 May 2008 can be found on this page.

Operation updates and appeals
South Asia - Floods
14 August 2008
Floods - Information bulletin no.2
Bangladesh - Floods, landslides and cyclones
22 Octoberl 2008
Floods, landslides and tornadoes - Operations update no.14 (MDRBD002)
22 October 2008
Cyclone Sidr - Operations update no.11 (MDRBD003) - Covering the period between 25 April and 10 September 2008
China - Floods
28 October 2008
Floods (MDRCN002) - Interim final report
18 June 2008
Floods - Information bulletin no.1
Democratic People's Republic of Korea - Floods
9 June 2008
Floods (MDRKP001) - Interim final report
India - Floods
3 October 2008
Floods in Bihar - Information bulletin no.1 (DREF no.MDRIN003)
26 September 2008
Floods - Information bulletin no.7
11 September 2008
Floods in Bihar - DREF bulletin no.MDRIN003
3 September 2008
Floods in Bihar - Information bulletin no.1
25 March 2008
Floods (MDRIN002) - DREF final report
Indonesia - Floods
5 August 2008
Sumatra floods - Operations update no.3
8 January 2008
Jakarta floods (MDRID003) - Information bulletin no.5
5 January 2008
Floods and landslides - Information bulletin no.2
Myanmar - Cyclones
5 May 2008
Cyclon Nargis related information
Nepal - Floods and landslides
31 December 2008
Floods - Information bulletin no.3 (MDRNP002)
20 October 2008
Floods, landslides - Operations update no.9 (MDRNP001)
20 October 2008
Floods - Revised emergency appeal no.MDRNP002
29 August 2008
Floods - Emergency appeal no.MDRNP002
28 August 2008
Floods - DREF bulletin no.MDRNP002do
24 April 2008
Floods and landslides - Revised emergency appeal no. MDRNP001
Pakistan - Floods and cyclones
12 August 2008
Floods - Information bulletin no.03/2008
14 July 2008
Floods and cyclone Yemyin (MDRPK001) - Operation update no.13
25 March 2008
Floods and storm Yemyin - Interim final report (MDRPK001)
Papua New Guinea - Cyclones
31 July 2008
Cyclone Guba - Operation update no.4
Peoples Democratic Republic of Lao - Floods
12 November 2008
Floods - Information bulletin no.2 (DREF no.MDRLA001)
29 August 2008
Floods - DREF bulletin no. MDRLA001
Philippines - Typhoons, floods and landslides
31 December 2008
Typhoon Fengshen: Operations update no.4
18 September 2008
Floods and landslides (MDRPH001) - Final report
5 August 2008
Floods and landslides (MDRPH001) - Interim final report
24 June 2008
Typhoon Fengshen: Preliminary emergency appeal no.MDRPH003
24 June 2008
Typhoon Fengshen: DREF bulletin no.MDRPH003
19 March 2008
Typhoons (MDRPH002) - Operations update no.8
Sri Lanka - Floods
4 June 2008
Floods - Information bulletin no.1
Timor-Leste - Floods and landslides
5 August 2008
Floods and landslides (MDRTP002) - DREF operation final report
Viet Nam - Typhoons and floods
19 December 2008
Typhoon Kammuri (MDRVN003) - DREF final operation report
9 December 2008
Floods - Operation update no.2 (MDRVN005)
12 November 2008
Floods - Emergency appeal no.MDRVN005
4 November 2008
Floods - Information bulletin no.1
3 October 2008
Flash floods - DREF bulletin no.MDRVN004
29 September 2008
Flash floods - Information bulletin no.1
18 August 2008
Flash floods - Information bulletin no.1
31 March 2008
Typhoons (MDRVN001) - Final report
4 March 2008
Typhoon Lekima - Operation update no.4
Video: Indian Red Cross Society monsoon preparedness
Other Red Cross Red Crescent videos
More information
Floods and typhoons in Asia in 2007
Multimedia
Map of flash floods in Viet Nam (September 2008) - Requires Google Earth installed
Map of floods in Bihar, India (September 2008) - Requires Google Earth installed
Slide show of Swedish Red Cross water and sanitation module 4O ERU deployed in Philippines (July 2008) | PDF document, 40 pages, 4.9Mb
Related news stories

First on the scene to provide emergency help was the Red Cross of Viet Nam, working in close collaboration with the authorities. The National Society mobilized hundreds of volunteers to carry out search and rescue, evacuations and provide first aid. (p18649)14 November 2008
Viet Nam floods: repeated disasters bring desolation to northern and central provinces
Six days of torrential rainfall between 30 October and 4 November have devastated a number of the northern and central provinces of Viet Nam. According to government figures, at least 85 people are dead and 600,000 people have been severely affected by the flooding. Some 180,000 houses have been destroyed, as well as more than 200,000 hectares of rice and vegetable fields. In addition, thousands of livestock have drowned.
Read the full story

The heavy rains over the past two days in Sichuan add to the difficulties faced by survivors of the quake, which left about 87,000 people dead or missing. Hundreds of thousands have been moved out of tents and into temporary shelters. (REUTERS/China Daily/courtesy www.alertnet.org)26 September 2008
China Red Cross rushes relief to flooding, typhoon survivors
Red Cross volunteers and staff have been rushing relief supplies of food and warm quilts to survivors of China's May 12 earthquake, as local authorities said at least 14 people died and several more were missing after floods and landslides brought by torrential rains.
Read the full story

Relief materials being ferried to flood affected villages by Red Cross volunteers. (p18295)25 September 2008
India: voices from Bihar State
Hundreds of dedicated volunteers with the Indian Red Cross Society (IRCS) are supporting ongoing flood relief operations in Bihar State. Many more are active in other regions still reeling from recent flooding. These volunteers have provided lifesaving support to thousands of those displaced from their homes when the Kosi River breached its banks on 18 August 2008.
Read the full story

More related news
17 September 2008
India: massive flood relief operation underway
4 September 2008
India: Bihar floods displace more families and take more lives
1 September 2008
India: situation worsens by the day
27 August 2008
South Asia: 1.5 million affected by flooding
22 August 2008
India: monsoon floods wreak havoc
22 August 2008
Viet Nam: flood surviviors tell their stories
14 August 2008
Red Cross responds to Viet Nam floods
24 July 2008
Bangladesh: volunteers risk lives in landslide response
2 July 2008
Philippines: working to ensure safe housing and water for victims of Typhoon Fengshen
4 June 2008
Monsoon rains wreak havoc in Sri Lanka
14 May 2008
Pakistan: where even a single cloud raises old fears
21 April 2008
China: Red Cross relief workers help survivors of Typhoon Neoguri
14 January 2008
Bangladesh: disaster lessons learned
14 January 2008
Branch Disaster Response Teams put to test in Sri Lanka
21 April 2008
China: Red Cross relief workers help survivors of Typhoon Neoguri
More International Federation news
Press releases
29 August 2008
Red Cross Red Crescent launches Nepal floods appeal
26 June 2008
Philippines: Red Cross Red Crescent launches emergency appeal
14 April 2008
Aid agencies warn of housing crisis as Bangladesh cyclone victims enter monsoon season
More International Federation press releases
National Societies involved
Bangladesh Red Crescent Society
Red Cross Society of China
Red Cross Society of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea
Indian Red Cross Society
Indonesian Red Cross Society
Lao Red Cross
Myanmar Red Cross Society
Nepal Red Cross Society
Pakistan Red Crescent Society
Papua New Guinea Red Cross Society
Philippine National Red Cross
Sri Lanka Red Cross Society
Timor-Leste Red Cross Society
Red Cross of Viet Nam
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