India's fight against poverty set back "by years", by floods, drought
- World Vision says malnourished families being pushed to the very edge - Drought impacts north, northeast and some parts of western India, sudden floods catch people by surprise in the south
CHENNAI,
The failure of the monsoon in the north, northeast and some parts of western
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"The sudden floods came as a real shock to people living in Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra because the region has not experienced anything like this in more than 100 years. These are not disaster prone areas," he said.
"Rates of malnourishment are already extremely high in
Without assistance he warned that crop failures and losses would lead to:
- Mass migration from rural areas to the cities - Increased indebtedness among farmers - Parents pulling children out of school to work instead - Increased vulnerabilities for children, including the risk of children being trafficked into labour or sexual exploitation
World Vision is now appealing for US$2 million to meet the immediate needs of 100,000 flood survivors who have been driven from their homes into relief camps. The floods have destroyed crops and impacted some 20 million people, with scores of villages cut off. The most vulnerable during natural disasters - the children - will not only face threats of disease and hunger but will not be able to go back to school anytime soon because the floods have washed away books and destroyed school buildings.
The immediate needs of families will be food, shelter and clothing. The relief, development and advocacy organization's aid workers have been providing cooked food, household items, mosquito nets, cooking utensils and clothing to thousands of survivors in relief camps in the states of Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka as part of its initial response.
- World Vision is a Christian relief, development and advocacy organization dedicated to working with children, families and communities to overcome poverty and injustice. World Vision serves all people regardless of religion, race, ethnicity or gender. - World Vision has been working in India for more than 50 years. World Vision donors support more than 239,000 children through its programs, including 30,535 children supported by Canadians.
For further information: To interview World Vision staff, please contact: Yoko Kobayashi, (905) 565-6200 ext. 2151, (416) 671-0086 (cell), [email protected]; Britt Hamilton, (905) 565-6200 ext. 3949, [email protected]
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