Red Cross responds as floods wreak havoc in India and Bangladesh
26 September 2000

Heavy and prolonged monsoon rains have once more caused widespread devastation across the Indian state of West Bengal and neighbouring districts in western Bangladesh. Across the region well over 16 million people have been affected by the floods, many of whom have been stranded for the past week, without sufficient food, shelter or access to clean water.

In both countries the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies has dispatched delegates to the affected areas where they are working alongside colleagues from the Indian Red Cross Society and the Bangladesh Red Crescent Society to assess the scale of the disaster and to provide emergency relief supplies to flood affected communities.

Flooding of the Ganges river and its tributaries such as the Bhagirathi, Jalangi and Mahananda rivers, has forced millions of people to abandon their homes and has led to widespread damage to crops and local infrastructure.

"Many of these people lost their homes and possessions during the previous floods in August - they hadn't a chance to start rebuilding their lives before they had to flee again", says Jürgen Weyand, head of the Federation's floods operation in India.

The armed forces of India and Bangladesh have been rescuing and evacuating people but in many areas the floods have overwhelmed relief efforts as communication links are severed and roads submerged. In West Bengal, where seven districts are affected, relief supplies including emergency rations, rice, clothing, cooking oil, plastic sheeting and water purification chemicals have been dispatched to the flood affected areas from the Indian Red Cross warehouse, along with some boats which will be used to reach isolated areas. With support from the Federation, further supplies of non-food items such as cooking sets and tarpaulins are being sent from Delhi.

In Bangladesh, Federation and Bangladesh Red Crescent teams have been assessing the flood damage and have already distributed 15 tons of rice since yesterday. Health teams are also being sent to the area to stem the spread of waterborne diseases. "Our team in Chuadanga district, near the Indian border, called in this morning to say that the floodwaters had risen six feet in the past five hours and about 100,000 thousand of people were camped out on the road", says Bob McKerrow, head of the Federation's delegation in Dhaka.

The Federation has made an international request for emergency funds totalling 9.1 million Swiss francs to support relief operations in the flood affected areas of India and Bangladesh.

For further information, or to set up interviews, please contact:

Delhi: Patrick Fuller, regional information delegate
+9111 685 8671/2 / +91 981 11 99794
Calcutta: Fernando Soares, information delegate
+91 33 2482311 / +873 761 846 455
Dhaka: Bob McKerrow, head of delegation
+88 02 831 5401/02 / +88 017 521 615
Geneva: Solveig Olafsdottir, information officer,
+41-22-730-4296/ +41 79 217 3372

The Geneva-based International Federation promotes the humanitarian activities of 181 National Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies among vulnerable people. By coordinating international disaster relief and encouraging development support, it seeks to prevent and alleviate human suffering. The Federation, National Societies and the International Committee of the Red Cross together, constitute the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement.