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05 JUL 2013

Oxfam responds to India flood crisis

Deadly floods hit the Himalayan state Uttarakhand on 16 June 2013, claiming over 10,000 lives. The calamity, being called a Himalayan Tsunami, is one of the worst disasters in the past 60 years that hit the region in India and has already affected around 100,000 people. The monsoons are far from over and the flood-affected people continue to face major challenges.
 
Oxfam India has started its relief programme in the region to reach over 1,500 affected households, providing food, water and non-food items like blankets, solar lamps, etc. to meet basic needs. While relief efforts target families in the cities of Rudraprayag and Uttarkashi, food rations are being loaded onto the helicopter at the northern town of Guptkashi for distribution to villages that have remained inaccessible.

To date, some 1,200 households have been provided food in the affected villages. Oxfam India is still working on ensuring adequate protection from the rain by making provisions for waterproof sheet for cover, providing household emergency support and clean drinking water and sanitation facilities to the affected people. Oxfam India also worries about the loss of income and economic prospects for the affected as floods have ravaged large areas in the northern part of the country.

“There is an urgency to rebuild livelihoods and ensure that people have a means to earn a regular income. Households that have lost their main bread earners are most vulnerable and need a long term solution to ensure a source of income,” said Nisha Agarwal, Chief Executive Officer of Oxfam India.

Oxfam India has announced an immediate emergency relief response in the flood-affected areas of Uttarakhand. Oxfam Hong Kong urges the public to support this relief effort and help the affected communities to cope with the disaster and restore livelihood.

For details of the Uttarakhand Flood Appeal, please visit:
http://www.oxfamindia.org/uttarakhand-flood-appeal

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About Oxfam
Oxfam is dedicated to fighting poverty and inequity worldwide. The international and independent development and humanitarian organisation tackles poverty in four main ways: sustainable development in poor communities, disaster relief, local, national and global advocacy, and education with Hong Kong youth. Established in Hong Kong in 1976, Oxfam Hong Kong is a founding member of Oxfam, an international confederation that has assisted poor people in 94 countries. Oxfam Hong Kong alone has supported poor people in over 70 countries/regions.