Helping survivors in Haiti & India

Haitians cross a river after floods near Port-au-Prince September 7, 2008 [REUTERS/ Evens Felix, courtesy www.alertnet.org]

CAFOD has pledged £150,000 so far to help thousands of people affected by the hurricanes in Haiti and floods in India

An immediate donation of £50,000 has gone to our partners Caritas Haiti and Caritas USA (CRS) to help Haitians who have been hit by four hurricanes and tropical storms in less than three weeks.

Tropical Storm Fay was quickly followed by Hurricanes Gustav, Hanna and Ike which swept across the country leaving more than 500 dead.

Torrential rains in Haiti

A total of 600,000 people are estimated to have been affected and almost 70,000 are now living in temporary shelters as torrential rains continue to lash the country.

Much of Haiti’s most fertile agricultural land is in the low-lying Artibonite region which traditionally produces most of Haiti’s rice crop.

Clare Dixon, CAFOD’s head of Latin America and the Caribbean, says: "Many remote areas of the country are also badly affected and hundreds of thousands of people need help.

"Access is difficult because of mountainous terrain, poor roads and poor communications. The challenges in getting supplies through are enormous.

"Our thoughts and prayers are with the Haitian people at this difficult time."

The urgent need is for drinking water, food, clothes, beds, batteries, blankets, towels, chlorine, mosquito nets, and medicines.

Devastation in India

Trishaw riders transport people through a flooded area after heavy monsoon rain in the northeastern Indian city of Guwahati [REUTERS/Utpal Baruah courtesy of www.alertnet.org]

Meanwhile, CAFOD has pledged £100,000 to assist those left devastated by the floods in India and Nepal.

Our partner Caritas India is helping up to 270,000 people - providing food, household items, medical assistance and temporary shelter through its diocesan offices and local groups.

At least 2.5 million across seven districts are displaced from their homes, and fears are growing that neighbouring Bangladesh will also suffer as floodwaters flow down rivers and monsoons start.

The flooding began when the Kosi River burst an embankment in Nepal, altering the river’s course into towns and villages that had not seen floods for decades.

Surging waters swamped 100,000 hectares of farmland, destroying wheat and paddy crops and leaving drinking water scarce.

Mary Lucas, CAFOD’s programme manager for India, says: “We are concerned there will be long term rehabilitation needs. Many are still marooned in their villages, either unable to get away or afraid to leave their houses and belongings.

“Conditions are pretty grim in the relief camps. The government is providing some rice and dhal but there is a need for more, and for supplementary food.”

CAFOD is concerned that the situations in these countries may worsen, and therefore require a long-term relief effort.

As such, we expect to receive requests from our partners for further funding from the Emergency Response Fund over the coming weeks and months. We urge supporters to please help this fund with whatever you can afford.

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