ACT members in India, Churches Auxilary for Social Action (CASA) and Lutheran World Service - India (LWS-I) have send relief and assessment teams to the affected area. The teams are distributing urgently needed food and non-food relief items. Further arrangements are underway to send consignments of dry food, water, blankets, utensils and shelter materials to more than 35,000 people in the affected areas.

Massive rescue and relief operations are underway by the Army to help people cope with the disaster that wiped out villages and rendered millions homeless in Gujarat. The border district of Kutch, which bore the brunt of the fury, was almost completely devastated with the old city areas of Bhuj (district headquarters), Anjar, Rapar and Bhachau totally ruined.

Stunned survivors are living in the open, panicking as more than 180 aftershocks have been felt throughout the State since 26th morning. Much of the damage is reported to be in Ahmednagar, a metropolitan area of 7.7 million people, where highrise buildings collapsed or sustained heavy damage.

Destruction of the civil hospital in Bhuj has made relief work difficult in the absence of medical installations and equipment. Makeshift arrangements are being made under open tents to provide medical treatment to the injured. Rescue and relief operations are being seriously hampered due to power shortage. The entire Kutch district remains without supply of power and water and faces acute shortage of essential supplies, medical aid and other necessities. The Surajbari bridge, linking the district with the rest of world, which developed cracks, was repaired and traffic restored on 27th afternoon to transport relief and rescue equipment. However, the railway link with Kutch is still not operational.

The Prime Minister of India has termed the disaster a national calamity and promised relief efforts on

a war footing. The Prime Minister and the Union Home Minister would be touring the quake hit areas on Monday to assess the situation.

Further ACTion

Both ACT members, CASA and LWF-I are planning immediate relief of around US$ 1.5 million each and are in touch with each other to ensure a coordinated and cohesive ACT response. The ACT Coordinating Office is advancing US$ 100,000 from the Rapid Response Fund to enable the two members to continue the relief measures already initiated. Contributions by ACT donors for earthquake relief are already in the pipeline.

The CASA Director is leaving for Gujarat on Tuesday morning to assess the situation personally and monitor the relief operations more closely at the ground level. He will be accompanied by a team of senior colleagues, drawn from across CASA's offices in the country. ACT member, Danchurchaid (DCA) representative in Delhi is accompanying the CASA team to Gujarat as well.

The LWS I Emergency Officer and senior colleagues are also leaving for the affected area to reinforce the teams' and local partners' aid efforts on the ground.

Offers of skilled personnel and equipment from the ACT network have been made to both CASA and LWS I, who will inform this office in due course, should there be a need.

The ACT coordinating office will send a communicator to assist the members with their communications needs to the ACT network.

An Appeal is expected to be issued in the coming days.

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