Asian flood disaster appeal launched

A £1m (€1.4m) appeal was launched today to help some of the most vulnerable people hit by severe flooding in India, Bangladesh and Nepal.

More than 360 people died and 20 million people were affected by flooding caused by two weeks of persistent rain.

International aid agency Oxfam set up the fundraising campaign to provide 200,000 of the hardest-hit people with food, emergency shelter, hygiene items, clean water and safe sanitation.

The organisation has been working with governments and other aid agencies to deliver emergency relief to affected areas since last month, but Ashvin Dayal, head of Oxfam in South Asia, said more assistance is needed.

“Across the region people are struggling to cope,” he said. “Millions of the very poorest have lost their homes, their possessions and their livelihoods.

“Thanks to good preparation, we have responded quickly and saved lives but people desperately need our help to get back on their feet again. We are calling on the British public to give whatever they can to help.”

Local authorities have been keen to stress that the flooding is a result of a particularly heavy monsoon and not global warming, but Mr Dayal said the world needed to be prepared for such severe conditions to become more regular.

“These floods show how important it is for governments and the international community to be prepared for when disasters strike,” he said.

“In the long term we must work with local authorities to help vulnerable people in the flood-prone areas of India, Bangladesh and Nepal to cope with increasingly erratic and unpredictable weather.”

Monsoon rains provide vital irrigation and replenish water supplies, but hundreds of people are killed every year by flooding and inadequate preparation.

This year’s conditions were worst in northern India and Bangladesh. In the Indian state of Bihar, 10 million people were affected and more than 80 people killed.

Military helicopters have been used to drop aid to millions of people marooned by the flooding, though authorities have been criticised for being slow to respond.

There was also concern about the possibility of an outbreak of diarrhoea and other water-borne diseases.

Donations to the Oxfam appeal can be made by logging on to www.oxfam.org.uk, going into any Oxfam shop or calling the appeal hotline on 0870 333 2500.