Early Rains Devastate Part of North India
Soldiers assist a woman carrying a child on her back during rescue operations in Govindghat in the Himalayan state of Uttarakhand June 23, 2013.
REUTERS/Danish Siddiqui
Flash flooding and landslides caused by heavy rains have swept away homes, destroyed crops and displaced thousands of people in Uttarakhand, northern India.
At least 560 people have been reported dead already, but that number is expected to rise as thousands more are still missing or out-of-reach from the rescuers. World Renew is responding to meet the urgent needs of those left stranded. News reports said on Monday that as many as 10,000 people could have died.
“We have received reports from local contacts that people have lost all their food stock, personal and household assets when their houses were washed away,” states World Renew’s partner, the Evangelical Fellowship of India Commission on Relief -- EFICOR, which is setting up a response in the area.
This is one of the earliest and most intense starts to the monsoon season that India has seen in decades, a season that is usually welcomed as an important part of India’s agricultural cycle.
While some parts of the country will likely benefit from the early rains, the northern region was the worst hit and this monsoon season has become a humanitarian disaster for the families living near the foothills of the Himalayas.
The government and military have already been deployed to facilitate rescue operations. Hundreds of thousands of people had to be airlifted to safety, including pilgrims and tourists who had been traveling near the Himalayas.
Landslides have made many roads impassable and some communities are still out of reach.
World Renew is working with local partners in the most affected areas of Rudraprayag and in Uttarkashi to provide affected families with tents, blankets, mosquito nets and emergency kits, including kitchen supplies and hygiene items. The full magnitude of the disaster is not yet known and local partners continue to assess the situation on the ground to determine the needs of these communities.
Please pray for the families in northern India that have been affected by extreme flooding and landslides.
To support World Renew’s flood response efforts, donate online, selecting "India Flood 2013" from the "Disasters-International" category.
Or, donate by phone or cheque:
World Renew US
2850 Kalamazoo Ave SE
Grand Rapids, MI 49560
1-800-552-7972
World Renew Canada
3475 Mainway
P.O. Box 5070 STN LCD
Burlington, Ontario, L7R 3Y8
1-800-730-3490
