The cyclone has
claimed 56 lives, according to official reports. However, unofficial
figures put the death toll closer to 100. Communication has been severely
disrupted and roads cut off in many places. Train services have also
been brought to a halt, as tracks were submerged by the floodwaters.
Traffic has been diverted as the River Krishna flooded National Highway
9. Flights from Visakhapatnam have been cancelled, as the runway remained
submerged.
Many people depend
on fishing in these affected areas and are now afraid to venture back
to sea, following reports of eight fisherman still unaccounted for
in the East Godavari district. Sources of livelihood of people have
been badly affected and there is a loss of personal and public property
on a large scale. Thousands of acres of crops have been wiped out
as a result of the floodwaters.
Tens of thousands
of families have been left homeless and have had to be evacuated to
relief camps. Numbers for people left homeless is estimated at 200,000,
with some 140,000 people who were evacuated to safer places.
Description
of damage
Overall damage
is believed to run into thousands of millions of rupees, with thousands
of houses damaged or destroyed--many of the constructed from mud with
thatched roofs. Massive losses of crops and livestock have been reported--all
of this in addition to the extensive damage to road, rail, and other
forms of infrastructure.
In addition to
ACT member United Evangelical Lutheran Church in India, Church's Auxiliary
for Social Action (CASA), also a member of the global alliance ACT
International, is responding to the disaster through their local members,
the Andhra Pradesh Evangelical Lutheran Church, the CSI Diocese
of Krishna & Godavari and the Council of Churches in Andhra Pradesh.
The partners will
be involved in damage assessment, beneficiary identification and programme
implementation, which will included extending their infrastructure
facilities and personnel to make the implementation of programs possible.
CASA has mobilised
three relief teams that will be operating in approximately 25 villages
and town slum areas in the districts of East and West Godavari, Khammam,
Krishna, Guntur, Nalgonda and Warangal. The teams will consist of
staff from the South Zone, partner organisation personnel and volunteers.
CASA will be responding
to the relief needs of 8,000 of the most affected families in Andhra
Pradesh to ease some of the effects of the floods and helping put
people back on the path of recovery. Priority will be given to the
most vulnerable sections of the population, such as women and children.
The activities
will include:
- Provision of
cooked food for at least five days to 15,000 people. There is an
acute shortage of food items and cooking fuel and therefore the
families cannot start cooking by themselves.
- Provision of
relief kits to 8,000 families. Each set will consist of 1 woollen
blanket, 1 dhoti (a garment worn by the men), 1 saree (woman’s attire),
9 pieces of aluminium utensils.
- Provision of
8,000 plastic sheets (size 15’ x 10’) will be distributed for people
to set up temporary shelters until the can reclaim or rebuild their
own, homes.
The ACT members will
coordinate their responses with clear demarcation of working areas.
The ACT CO is expecting
to issue a new Appeal (ASIN53) in the coming week. The budget is expected
to include $ 88,700 for UELCI and $ 148,860 for CASA.
