Monsoonal floods swamp large parts of IndiaThe monsoons, crucial to the country’s agriculture driven economy, have triggered floods across the agricultural and industrial heartland of India since the weekend. Across 5 states, turbulent rivers have swept away towns and villages and submerged cities, causing untold damage to millions of lives and property. Aided by the Indian defence forces, relief effort has kicked into high gear as military boats and helicopters are striving to reach isolated villages and marooned people. In the western Indian state of Maharashtra alone, 125000 people have been evacuated across 685 villages in 12 districts. In Gujarat the situation is particularly worrisome with the floods in and around the diamond and textile town of Surat being the worst recorded in the last 200 years. Andhra Pradesh is one of the worst affected states with 5680 villages having borne the brunt of the disaster resulting in the evacuation of 542628 people to safer areas. Even though the government and the armed forces are working overtime to evacuate and provide relief, a large population scattered over vast distances over five states means that people remain totally cut off, stranded on rooftops and on tress, without food and water. Reports have emerged about flood waters receding in some areas but worryingly, although rivers continue to be in spate. Local government officials have also issued warning of an imminent epidemic of waterborne diseases due to lack of clean drinking water and poor sanitation. According to news reports, 66 people have died from waterborne diseases in Maharashtra with leptospirosis, a disease caused by rats, causing many of the deaths. Cases of diarrhoea, gastroenteritis, fever and vomiting and skin diseases have also come in. A massive sanitization campaign is already underway in the 5 worst hit riverfront districts in Andhra Pradesh, with the government teams spraying insecticide to combat mosquitoes and pests and helicopters dropping medicines along with food and water. As in all disaster situations, children continue to be the most vulnerable section of the affected population. Overwhelmed by the enormity of the disaster and the pandemonium the ensues, children suffer greatly from the terrifying events they and their families have experienced, including the loss of and injury of loved ones, and the destruction of their homes and schools. UNICEF is ensuring that the welfare of children is not side-stepped and they remain disease free. For this purpose, UNICEF is gearing up to supply ORS packets, chlorine tablets, Auto Destruct Syringes, portable generators and fogging machines to meet the emergency situation. These measures will provide protection to thousands of children and help them return to their normal routine. India being a disaster prone country, UNICEF India has developed an overall Emergency Preparedness and Response Plan (EPRP) for the entire country. Under the EPRP, a rapid assessment is conducted within the first 48-72 hours to determine programmatic needs in health and nutrition, education, child protection, water supply and sanitation, HIV/AIDS and other salient child rights issues and also the factors affecting the organization’s capacity of function in the field. To mitigate the fallout of the disaster on the most vulnerable children and communities UNICEF’s response to the emergency is channelled through the EPRP.
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