July ending 2015, tropical Cyclone ‘Komen’ caused depression in Bay of Bengal and dumped heavy rains in the adjacent areas of Myanmar and NE India. It triggered flash floods and landslides in 11 provinces of Myanmar, and 3 Indian states viz. Manipur, West Bengal and Orissa.
Myanmar Government has declared state of emergency especially in 4 States of Chin, Sagaing, Magway and Rakhine. Tens of thousands of houses, million acres of croplands, infrastructures, and communication systems were heavily damaged.
The calamity has so far claimed at least 46 lives and affected some 215,000 people in Myanmar and in India, the toll is over 100 lives – among them were 20 persons buried by mudslides in Manipur; and 48 from West Bengal. According to Hindustan Times, a daily from Delhi (August 2, 2015), over 1.8 million people in 5600 villages in West Bengal alone were affected by the torrential rains and floods.
Rescue and Relief efforts
Myanmar: The government pressed emergency relief and rescue services, but the efforts were seriously hampered as roads, bridges and other communication systems were either washed away or disrupted. The Government has so far provided US $1.2 million worth of reliefs. Government official Ye Htut told Reuters that “We are co-operating and inviting international assistance”. The UN-OCHA said agencies were scaling up their emergency response. The World Food Program had started providing food rations to 47,800 people with the aim of reaching 150,000 people eventually. UNICEF has distributed water purification and hygiene kits so far.
India: Indian government has responded immediately and effectively to the current crisis. National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) has been carrying out relief and rescue services in West Bengal, Orissa and Manipur. Owing to inaccessibility to the affected areas in Manipur, helicopters were pressed into service by the rescue and relief teams. Food packets and medical aid were provided.
APBAid Response
APBAid is keeping in touch with both Myanmar Baptist Convention and Manipur Baptist Convention.
Christian Social Service & Development Department, the R&D wing of Myanmar Baptist Convention has developed an emergency relief & recovery plan (costing US $939,255), and they are mobilising resources from both inside and outside the country.
