Bijoy Patro in Delhi
The floods across South Asia are taking a grim shape with the number of people affected across the region rising to almost 60 million. Over 1,300 people have died across the region as reports of damage to livelihoods, infrastructure and property continue to pour in.
Red Cross and Red Crescent volunteers are gearing up for worse as the flood waters move southwards towards the sea. This surge will coincide with high-tide conditions over the next two days, meaning that, rather than emptying into the sea, the floodwaters are likely to be pushed back inland.
The situation is critical in many remote and inaccessible parts of South Asia, from where reports take days to trickle in: In Nepal’s remote district of Ramechhap, for example, landslides have destroyed almost 2,500 houses and seven schools besides cutting off the district from the rest of the world.
Because much of the Himalayan kingdom is also in the midst of a conflict, Red Cross branches and members are often the only humanitarians aiding vulnerable people. Elsewhere, they are coordinating their activities with other aid organizations, such as Care Nepal.
“The need for aid is overwhelming and we cannot meet the needs of the affected people alone,” says district Red Cross President Ram Bahadur Karki. “It is difficult because the places are inaccessible and we are the only organisation present there.”
The floods in this disaster-prone region are an unwelcome annual visitor. Yet, this year’s floods are particularly grim, given the extent of the destruction and the death toll.
Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh was visibly moved after a helicopter tour over the central Indian state of Bihar. “I knew that the problem faced by the state due to floods was serious but frankly speaking I never though it was so serious,” Singh was quoted as saying.
Neighbouring Bangladesh’s situation is similar. Prime Minister Begum Khalida Zia said the current floods hade damaged property and infrastructure worth the equivalent of millions of dollars: “It may not be possible for the government alone to recoup the losses. Therefore we need international assistance for rebuilding the infrastructure and homesteads and for agriculture rehabilitation.”
As elsewhere in the region, Bangladesh Red Crescent volunteers have been among the first to reach the affected people with emergency food, mainly high protein biscuits and family kits. Distribution of locally resourced food, mainly rice, lentils and flattened rice began on Tuesday.
“I have worked in emergencies since 1992, but what I saw this time can be compared only to 1998,” said the International Federation’s Relief Officer in Bangladesh, William Haldar, after visiting the flooded countryside.
During the 1998 floods, described at the time as the worst in 60 years, more than 60 million people were affected in Bangladesh, India and Nepal. What makes this year’s floods potentially worse is that it will be another two months before the South Asian monsoon will have dissipated.
Haldar saw families stranded, clinging to the hope that the water would recede after two or three days as is usually the case. This did not happen and very soon the sewage systems collapsed, forcing people to move to higher spots or less flooded places, mostly dams or embankments.
These places have their share of problems though, with drinking water and food scarce.
Lack of access to shelters is also a problem. The only well constructed buildings for many miles are government buildings, schools or, sometimes, mosques.
“A sub-district may have four or five schools. That is not much shelter. So we see more people living under the open sky and they were preparing makeshift houses,” William Haldar said.
In Nepal, the Red Cross Society is providing relief assistance from its own resources as well as the support it gets from partners. Red Cross assessment teams have reported several instances where people have managed to survive due to the timely interventions of the local volunteers.
Branches have also been raising resources locally and providing the affected people with beaten rice, rice, potato, vegetable, sugar, salt, pulse, noodles and other daily needs.
“However, the emergency need is increasing with the steep increase in the number of people affected,” says Sanjeev Kafley, Nepal Red Cross Director for Disaster Management.
“The emergency relief stock that exists in the Nepal Red Cross Society’s own warehouses will not be enough to meet this huge humanitarian challenge,” he adds.