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India

India: Bihar flood 2008 - Weekly report 22 - 26 Sep 2008

Situation Report

The situation in the flood affected areas of Bihar continues to be in a bad shape following the massive destruction caused by the Kosi River.

After the initial evacuation and emergency rescue operations initiated by the Indian army and other relief operations, the affected communities are still fighting hard to survive and are trying to adjust to the new surroundings and challenges that they face each day. The relief camps are still temporary and the needs are growing while the solution to such a crisis is still in the air.

Bihar, one of the poorest states in India is facing tremendous challenges with more than 15 lakhs people displaced, hundreds dead and most of the affected areas still stuck under stagnant muddy water

EHA Relief

It is indeed rewarding and not to forget a great challenge for EHA to respond to the Bihar Kosi flood. The relief operation is still effectively continuing in both our target locations in Madhepura and Saharsa.

EHA Community Kitchen

The EHA Relief team continues to operate community kitchens in two major relief camps in Belldor under Dinapati Panchayat and Sonapur (Santhal Tola) under Jorgama Panchayat in Murliganj block in Madhepura district. Cooked meals are provided from the community kitchens by the volunteers and staff.

Since last week, more than 83,500 meals have been provided. Cooked meals are provided twice a day to 7000 people on a daily basis. Emergency dry food supplies have also been distributed to more than 1800 families. The EHA Relief team has been taking into consideration the calorie content of the food provided in the relief camps. The team has also been focusing on the maintenance of sanitation in and around the community kitchens.

Medical Need

The need for medical response in the relief camps is increasing and has become very crucial. As the flood water slowly receded during the last one week, there were more reports on water borne diseases, diarrhea, eye infection and skin rashes being treated in the EHA medical mobile clinic. Water contamination, lack of sanitary toilets etc have become a major concern. Along with the EHA Madhepura Hospital medical team, medical volunteers from across the country are responding to various health issues and needs in the relief camps. Water purification chlorine tablets and bleaching powder are also being provided. The ones who are most vulnerable and prone to potential risk are the little children, the aged, the differently abled and pregnant and lactating women.

EHA Medical Response

The EHA Mobile Medical Clinic has treated 3679 patients and 228 families through 22 clinics including house to house visits. The medical camps are providing de-worming treatment to the people in order to tackle the increasing rate of communicable diseases. The Relief team is also providing safe drinking water, sanitation measures, Chlorine tablets, Halogen powder and ORS packets to the flood -affected people. Help from the district administration The district administration has agreed to assist the EHA Relief Team by providing security during distribution of food; LPG gas and firewood for running the community kitchen; and transport for accessing the interior villages by boat.

For Details Contact:

EMMANUEL HOSPITAL ASSOCIATION
DISASTER MANAGEMENT & MITIGATION UNIT 808/92 DEEPALI BUILDING
NEHRU PLACE - 110019 phone: 011-30882008/2009
email us at: centraloffice@eha-health.org
daily updates at: www.eha-health.org