World Vision Provides Continuous Relief as Floods Intensify in India

It has been almost one week after the heavy rain soaked Mumbai, India. The death toll is approaching 1,000. The financial and physical damages have impoverished the country, Indians are requesting for more international aid.

World Vision International is providing cooked food and medical care in a number of flood-affected communities around the city Mumbai. Each relief pack contains 5 kgs of rice, 3 kgs of lentils (dhal), 1 lt cooking oil and water purification tablets. Around 800 families in seven slums will be provided with these relief supplies.

It also conducts medical camps with volunteer doctors in various locations, amid fears of disease outbreaks in the post-flood phase.

"Till now, most of the patients are suffering from colds, coughs and fever," said Dr. Massey, one of the volunteers providing treatment. "They have been living in houses which are still damp and wet. I have not noticed any disease outbreaks so far."

World Vision’s relief team is now in their full-effort to prevent the outbreak of diseases. World Vision's program manager in Mumbai, Biju Mathew, said the biggest challenge is finding enough medicine.

World Vision offices in different parts of the world have provided the funding of three different relief projects in Mumbai.The Mumbai Area Development Program is funded by Korea and India while Mumbai Network of Care is funded by Australia and New Zealand. Thailand, Germany and Finland support the Mumbai-Thane HIV/AIDS project as well.

Alongside World Vision, the UK-based aid agency Christian Aid’s partner in India – the Church’s Auxiliary for Social Action (CASA) - has also been reaching out to the needy since last Tuesday. Christian Aid has donated £50,000 to CASA for their immediate response, especially in the outer rural areas.

Monsoon rains lashed Mumbai again on Monday. The Police said that rescue workers found the bodies of 24 more victims of floods and landslides, bringing the state death toll to 993 since the rain began on 25th July, according to the Associated Press.

Schools and colleges remained shut but India's leading stock market, the Mumbai stock exchange, banks and offices were open. Authorities said power had been restored to 80 percent of areas hit by blackouts.

Weather officials forecast the rains should ease Tuesday.