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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 caused 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
Bangladesh - Floods, landslides and cyclones
10 June 2008
Cyclone Sidr - Operations update no.12 (MDRBD003) - Covering the period between 17 March and 17 April 2008
2 April 2008
Floods, landslides and tornadoes - Operations update no.11 (MDRBD002)
7 March 2008
Cyclone Sidr - Operations update no.9 (MDRBD003)
China - Floods
18 June 2008
Floods - Information bulletin no.1
9 April 2008
Floods (MDRCN002) - Operation update no.6
Democratic People's Republic of Korea - Floods
9 June 2008
Floods (MDRKP001) - Interim final report
India - Floods
23 June 2008
Floods - Information bulletin no.2
25 March 2008
Floods (MDRIN002) - DREF final report
Indonesia - Floods
18 January 2008
Sumatra floods - Operations update no.2
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
4 June 2008
Floods, landslides - Operations update no.8 (MDRNP001)
24 April 2008
Floods and landslides - Revised emergency appeal no. MDRNP001
Pakistan - Floods
25 March 2008
Floods and storm Yemyin - Interim final report (MDRPK001)
Papua New Guinea - Cyclones
26 February 2008
Cyclone Guba - Operation update no.3
Philippines - Typhoons
4 July 2008
Typhoon Fengshen: Operations update no.1
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
30 April 2008
Floods and landslides (MDRTP002) - DREF bulletin no.3
Viet Nam - Typhoons
31 March 2008
Typhoons (MDRVN001) - Final report
4 March 2008
Typhoon Lekima - Operation update no.4
More information
Floods and typhoons in Asia in 2007
Related news stories
Philippine National Red Cross water and sanitation technicians Raymond Bantigue (left) and Benjo Bacani test water samples from a newly set up mobile purification system to ensure safe water supply at a typhoon Fengshen evacuation camp in the province of Iloilo, Philippines. (p17865) (Albert Lee/Philippine Red Cross)2 July 2008
Philippines: working to ensure safe housing and water for victims of Typhoon Fengshen
More than a week after Typhoon Fengshen ravaged a huge part of the Philippine archipelago causing shortages of safe drinking water and disrupting food supplies, the terrible experience, for many survivors, remains quite vivid.
Read the full story
Residents leave a flooded house at a village in Kalenimulla, Colombo. According to the government’s disaster management centre (DMC) 20 people have died and an estimated 93,000 families (362,000 individuals) have been affected across nine districts of the country.  Photo courtesy of REUTERS Alertnet www.alertnet.org) REUTERS/Anuruddha Lokuhapuarachchi (RTX6FWH)4 June 2008
Monsoon rains wreak havoc in Sri Lanka
Four days of torrential monsoon rains are causing misery for tens of thousands of Sri Lankans throughout the country. According to the government’s disaster management centre (DMC) 20 people have died and an estimated 93,000 families (362,000 individuals) have been affected across nine districts of the country.
Read the full story
Children playing in Football Stadium Campin Turbat. (p17631)14 May 2008
Pakistan: Where even a single cloud raises old fears
Almost one year after serious floods struck the southern provinces of Pakistan, many people are still living under tough conditions. The disaster affected 2.5 million people, more than 71,000 houses were damaged and thousands of people were displaced. A large number of families are still living in temporary shelters, others have already started to move towards normal lives.
Read the full story

Myanmar: relief operation underway as full extent of devastation becomes clear. (REUTERS/courtesy wwwalertnet.org)

5 May 2008
Myanmar - Cyclone Nargis

All relevant information about Cyclone Nargis can be found on a seperate page.
Myanmar - Cyclone Nargis

Local residents search for their belongings in a collapsed wooden shed in Longlou Town of Wenchang, Hainan province, April 19, 2008. Typhoon Neoguri has weakened into a tropical storm after slamming into the southern Chinese island province of Hainan. (REUTERS/China Daily /courtesy www.alertnet.org) 21 April 2008
China: Red Cross relief workers help survivors of Typhoon Neoguri

The Red Cross Society of China has dispatched a relief team to Hainan to deliver essential aid to people affected by Typhoon Neoguri, which has left three dead and 40 missing, according to state media. To date, Red Cross relief workers have distributed 20 metric tonnes of rice, 1,400 items of clothing, and 200 pairs of shoes. Assessment teams are continuing to collect data on the needs of people affected and damages to communities in southern China.
Read the full story

More related news
14 January 2008
Bangladesh: disaster lessons learned
14 January 2008
Branch Disaster Response Teams put to test in Sri Lanka
More International Federation news
Press releases
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
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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