Some 700 families in a World Vision-assisted project area in the southern state of Kerala have been affected.

July 23, 2007

By Kit Shangpliang - Communications Coordinator


Monsoon season continues to wreak havoc in India.

Last week, heavy rains and subsequent flooding inundated the southern state of Kerala; in response, World Vision relief teams have distributed food packages to 3,500 flood-affected villagers (700 families) in the World Vision-supported Wayanad district. Relief packages included rice, coconut oil, sugar, mung beans, and tea.

"This is our immediate response, but we will monitor the situation and see if there is a need for us to continue," says Jomon Baby, World Vision's program manager for the Wayanad sponsorship area, which is supported by donors in the United States.

'Worst Flood in 20 Years'

World Vision immediately sent an assessment team on July 17 to the affected areas. They found 700 families — living in the villages of Parkuni, Madhothupoil, Kalathara, Varummel Kadavu, Edavaka, and Thavinjal — had been seriously affected by the flooding.

Hundreds of families have been evacuated from flood-affected areas, and area residents say it's the worst flooding in 20 years. "About 1,300 people came into the camps by Tuesday evening [July 17], and many more are expected to join the relief camps," Jomon adds.

Indian Government Opens 63 Relief Camps

The Indian government has established 63 relief camps in Manathavady Panchayat to accommodate thousands who have fled flooded villages in Kerala. People staying in the camps have been provided with food and drinking water; however, families staying with relatives on riverbanks and in the highlands are reportedly suffering from food shortages.

Fourteen districts in Kerala have been affected by the flooding.

World Vision Relief Update

Following 10 days of intense relief work in the flood-affected Bijapur sponsorship area, located in the southern state of Karnataka, our staff members are continuing to monitor community health for possible disease outbreaks. So far, World Vision aid provided to survivors in this area includes:

• Fodder for the livestock owned by 165 flood-affected families
• Housing materials (sand, cement, and roofing sheets) for 215 families

We have also sent teams to assess the flooding in eastern India's Orissa state that affected approximately 600,000 people. A six-member rapid response team has been dispatched to the flood zone. The team is working on a final assessment of the damages to assist World Vision India to expedite relief efforts in that region as well.

Aid Efforts Coordinated

World Vision India is part of the Inter-Agency Group of Orissa state, which continues to meet daily to provide flood updates to all nongovernmental aid agencies working in the region.

From the beginning, World Vision has worked closely with Indian government officials to plan and execute the daunting task of assisting hundreds of flood survivors across this vast country.

Prominent government officials attending to the ongoing relief distribution process include Jagdish Shettar, the revenue minister of Karnataka state government, as well as M.V. Rajashekaran, the union cabinet minister for planning. Other officials have also helped to expedite relief efforts.

Meanwhile, all World Vision staff members in vulnerable areas across India are continuing to monitor their communities closely in the event additional assistance is needed, says Franklin Joseph, World Vision's emergency relief and disaster mitigation director in India.