Flooding crisis for 20m
By permission and courtesy of 'The Baptist Times'
Aid agencies and governments are increasing efforts to bring emergency help to millions of people affected by the mons oon floods in South Asia. An estimated 20m people have been made homeless by the floods - caused by heavier than normal monsoon rainfall - and as many as 1,000 are feared dead.
Experts say that these are the worst floods to hit northern India, Bangladesh and Nepal in years. In all, the floods are thought to have affected some 35m, inundating two thirds of Bangladesh and devastated parts of Nepal.
In India and Bangladesh, homes have been swept away and crops ruined. Entire villages have been cut off from food and clean drinking water. Because of the level of the flooding - up to 9ft in some places - aid is being delivered by helicopter. Some 2m people in villages in eastern Uttar Pradesh have begun to receive food by helicopter.
BMS World Mission director for Mission, David Kerrigan is currently in Bangladesh on a pre-planned visit. 'Flying into Bangladesh was like flying over the English Channel, a country under water,' he said. 'The devastation here is enormous. Our partners on the ground are doing an excellent job but we would ask for your fervent prayers for people here who are suffering immensely.'
BMS has made an initial grant of £25,000 to partners in Bangladesh, to be spent on providing food packages, some for those with cooking facilities and dry food for those who no longer even have stoves. Around 60,000 people will be helped, with supplies lasting for 10 days. Further grants may be made to partners in India and Nepal as needs are made known.
Baptist World Aid (BWAid) has also launched an appeal for fund s to bring relief to the stricken region. It has also given two grants of £2,500 to the Bengal Baptist Union and the Bengal Orissa Bihar Baptist Churches Association in India. 'It is the poor who suffer so much in these situations,' commented BWAid director, Paul Montacute. 'The poor live on low-lying ground or on land that is easily swept away as waters descend from the mountains.'
Nripen Baidya, the Bangladesh programme director for BWAid, said that people in the country were experiencing 'untold suffering'. 'They do not have anything to eat and due to the flood there is no work in the fields. People are crying for food and drinking water,' he said. 'Children and old men and women are suffering the most.'
Eighty-eight churches have already appealed to the Bangladesh Baptist Church for relief aid and grants have been made, 'But it is only enough to feed them for one day or two,' said Nripen Baidya. 'We need prayer support from our friends all over the world and financial support too.'
Christian Aid launched an appeal on Tuesday, and is concentrating on distributing emergency food rations, water and cooking utensils to stranded people in the Indian state of Bihar, one of the worst hit. At least 91 people have died there, nearly 11m have been displaced or marooned and 70,000 homes have been destroyed.  'This level of constant rainfall in Bihar and Uttar Pradesh states is unprecedented. We have never witnessed this before,' said Anand Kumar, from the Christian Aid office in India. The monsoon season usually starts in late August. But this year we have already had 15 days of sustained rainfall.'
Christian Aid's partner organisations are beginning to distribute emergency food rations, cooking utensils, water purification tablets and clothing for people marooned by the floods in both Bihar and Uttar Pradesh.
Also in Bihar, Tearfund is helping 3,000 families in the Madhubani district with food and temporary shelter, as well as helping 2,500 people who have fled to higher ground. Elsewhere it is distributing water disinfection tablets, sanitation and medical kits.
How you can help
To give through Baptist World Aid, send donations to: Baptist World Aid, Baptist Union of Great Britain, Baptist House, PO Box 44, 129 Broadway, Didcot, Oxon OX11 8RT
To give through Tearfund, log on to:
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