Human suffering increases in eastern India and Nepal after river bursts its banks, displacing hundreds of thousands.
More than 1.5 million people throughout eastern India and south-east Nepal have been forced from their homes as rising flood waters from the Kosi River (known as the Koshi River in Nepal) follow a channel that has been dry for more than 200 years.
Red Cross Red Crescent staff and volunteers throughout the region have been working around the clock to meet the humanitarian needs of those who lost homes and livelihoods. In India alone, more than 1,000 villages have been isolated, and are stuck between the normal path of the river and the new stream that was created when the Kosi breached its banks in Nepal on August 19.
The Indian Red Cross Society and its branches have mounted a significant response, mobilizing hundreds of relief workers to support evacuation, search and rescue, and emergency first aid efforts. They are also providing vital oral rehydration solutions, organizing free basic health stations and distributing medicines and other supplies to those in need.
Life-saving
In Nepal, the Nepal Red Cross Society continues to provide life-saving support to those impacted by the river’s fury. More than 50,000 people have been displaced in Nepal and many have turned to the Red Cross Red Crescent.
30,000 Nepalese evacuees have sought shelter in schools and public buildings, and the Red Cross Red Crescent is providing vital first aid, distributing essential relief items such as tarpaulins and food. Volunteers and staff are also maintaining a registry of affected individuals to ensure that additional support is provided in the days and weeks ahead.
Flood waters have not yet begun to recede, so the devastating impact of the tail end of the 2008 monsoon season will continue to worsen in the coming days. In India and Nepal, the Red Cross Red Crescent will remain at the centre of humanitarian relief efforts.
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An aerial view shows flood-affected people who live near the banks of a flooded Kosi river in the border area between Supaul and Saharsa in the eastern Indian state of Bihar. (REUTERS/Krishna Murari Kishan/courtesy www.alertnet.org)
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More than 1.5 million people throughout eastern India and south-east Nepal have been forced from their homes. (REUTERS/Pawan Kumar/courtesy www.alertnet.org)
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Red Cross Red Crescent staff and volunteers throughout the region have been working around the clock to meet the humanitarian needs of those who lost homes and livelihoods.
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