CHURCH WORLD SERVICE: EMERGENCY RESPONSE PROGRAM
CWS EMERGENCY: Bihar, India, Floods
September 4, 2008


SITUATION: More than 2 million people have been affected by floods in 
Bihar, India -- the worst flooding to hit the north eastern Indian 
region in decades.  At least 70 people have been killed -- some reports 
say more than 1 million -- and some 124,000 people have been evacuated 
to safer ground. Hundreds of thousands remain marooned by the flooding, 
living on rooftops and awaiting assistance and rescue.

Flooding has been caused by the overflowing Kosi River, which gathers 
water from some of the highest mountains in Nepal, including Everest, 
and enters India in north Bihar. Flooding has rendered useless more than 
186 miles of embankments built to control waters. The effect of the 
flooding has been enormous, inundating numerous towns and villages that 
were considered *flood-safe areas," and that have not seen such floods 
for decades.

"It is a catastrophe far greater than the annual floods," said a 
statement from long-time CWS partner Church's Auxiliary for Social 
Action (CASA).


RESPONSE: CWS is responding by supporting efforts of CASA, which has 
already identified several key needs, including food, non-food items 
such as household items and shelter -- shelter being a particular 
concern with the coming onset of winter.

Objectives of the CWS-supported response including providing 
ready-to-eat food for 5,000 families in Bihar and providing dry rations, 
clothing, utensils, plastic sheets and blankets to 10,000 families. As 
well: the establishment of 625 transit shelters for 2500 families and 
625 field bore-hole latrine units.

The ready-to-eat food is 1 kilogram of molasses and 10 kilograms of 
flattened rice.

Each dry ration kit consists of 10 kgs rice, 2 kgs lentils, 1litre 
edible oil, 1 kg salt, 200 gm turmeric powder and 200 gm chilli powder.

Household kits/ relief sets will consist of: 1 woolen blanket; 1 Dhoti 
(a garment worn by the men); 1 saree (women*s apparel), 9 items of 
aluminum utensils; 1 cotton floor mat (Dari); 1 bedsheet; 4 meters of 
cotton cloth; 2 plastic containers (10 litre each) for storage of water; 
cotton wool roll (250 gm); 5 pieces of Gamcha (towels). As well, 10,000 
pieces of plastic sheets (polythene sheets, 15* by 12*) will be provided 
to the affected families, which will serve as an immediate temporary 
shelter for the families who have lost almost everything in the flood 
waters.

The planned transit shelters: CASA proposes to construct 625 transit 
shelters in the affected areas, which will house 2,500 affected families 
-- four families for each shelter. The proposed shelter will be 15ft x 
40ft. The height of the shelter at the back side will be 12ft and the 
height at the front side will be 10ft.


BUDGET: $1,761,189, includes $140,975 for food relief assistance; 
$363,659 for non-food relief assistance; $912,043 for shelter and 
latrine construction; $344,512 for transportation, warehousing and 
administration

Contributions to support this emergency appeal may be sent to your 
denomination or to Church World Service, P.O. Box 968, Elkhart, IN, 
46515.  Please designate: Bihar, India, Floods Appeal #699-D.

For further information about disasters to which Church World Service is 
responding please visit www.churchworldservice.org or call the CWS 
Hotline, (800) 297-1516.

CWS Emergency Response Program special contacts: (212) 870-3151
Program Director: dderr@churchworldservice.org
Domestic Response: bvollmering@churchworldservice.org

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Appropriate Donations for International Disaster/Humanitarian Needs
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Center for International              web: www.cidi.org
.  Disaster Information          listserv: www.cidi.org/listsub.htm
.                              guidelines: www.cidi.org/donate.htm
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -