Emergency Situation Report No. 8 - India floods 30 August – 5 September

Nature and Location: Monsoon floods across India including Orissa, West Bengal, Assam and Bihar

Headlines

- To date, Save the Children has reached approximately 8,250 children (note correction from last week) in its emergency flood response:

Health: 6203 patients, including 2404 children, have received medical attention in temporary health camps.

Water and Sanitation: Approximately 3250 children have benefited through distribution of sanitation materials and oral rehydration salts and repairs to 16 community tube wells.

Shelter: 2,500 families, including 5,000 children, have received tarpaulins for temporary shelter.

Education and Protection: 3,300 children have received educational kits and have received support in returning to school.

- We are now operational in Bihar. A team of three staff is in place. Two local implementing partners in Sitamarhi and Khagaria Districts have been engaged. We aim to reach 4000 households, including 10,000 children with hygiene kits, temporary shelter and food assistance, and child protection systems.

- In the last week rains have started again in Assam and some people have been forced to return to makeshift camps on the roadside.

1. General Situation Update

Gradually the flood situation in Balasore, Jajpur and Kendrapda districts of Orissa has been improving. However, many villages of Bhograi block of Balsore are still marooned by the water. Multiple breaches in the roads and the high current of water hindered the pace of the relief operation in Balasore District. Hundreds of thatched houses have collapsed during renewed rainfall and wind during the last three weeks. This has lead to a further demand for tarpaulins among the communities. Bhograi block, which is politically sensitive with fractions within the political party, has seen some tensions during the distribution process. However, the field volunteers have tackled these challenges through participatory processes with the community.

In the South-Western districts of Orissa the death figure has reached to 93 due to a cholera and diarrhea that includes 49 persons from Kashipur block of Rayagada district, 34 from Dasmantapur block of Koraput, 6 from Rampur block of Kalahandi and many more people have admitted in the hospitals.

Name of State/UT	Population affected	No. of lives lost	No. of villages affected	No. of livestock lost	Cropped area affected (Ha)	No of houses damaged
						Fully	Partially
Assam	6,848,000	50	6,018	-	360,000	12,325	-
Bihar	2,104,000	611	10,296	617	1,713,000	264,840	326,285
Orissa	1,687,000	33	1,865	19,501	160,000	9,353	18,457
West Bengal	6,960,000	222	3,837	4,033	2,213,152	152,276	244,700

From: NDMA SITREP NO-96/2007, http://www.ndmindia.nic.in/

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