<i>Monsoons leaves behind sickness, hunger</>
The Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) is continuing to provide relief to the northeastern state of Bihar, India in response to heavy monsoon rains that flooded the region in September, killing more than 235 people and affecting nearly 5 million.
ADRA’s India branch is distributing emergency kits containing rice, molasses, salt, multivitamins, folic acid and iron tablets, calcium tablets, baby food, and oral rehydration salts for 7,500 of the most vulnerable survivors in the remote district of Bhimpur.
“Many of the rescued families have been placed in government-run relief camps,” said Karmen Till, programs and planning director for ADRA India. “Some? are in good working condition, while others are horribly overcrowded and suffering from a severe lack of necessary resources.”
ADRA India is planning to expand its response to include additional food, blankets, tarps, soap, and candles in the Araria District of Bihar. The three-month project, which is being funded by supporting offices in the ADRA network and New Zealand’s Aid & Development Agency, will meet basic food security needs, as well as other immediate needs, for the most vulnerable and affected families. It will also provide medical services to those in marooned villages without access to government medical services, and reduce the risk and further negative impact of winter cold and adverse weather conditions.
“Bihar is one of the poorest states in India, and is facing tremendous challenges with millions displaced, hundreds dead, and most of the affected survivors still stuck in stagnant muddy water,” said Nitin Kenny, emergency program officer for ADRA India.
For more information, visit
