Assam flood-hit may get international help

GUWAHATI: Help is expected to pour in soon for the flood-hit people of Assam from around the world as the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) completed their assessment of the damage caused by the deluge.
Caroline Haga, Asia Pacific communication head of IFRC, said that funds will soon reach the people of Assam who have been suffering since early July."Assam has gone through a very difficult time which has also been recognized by the international media. More than 5.5 million people have been affected, families have lost their homes and numerous lives have been lost. Despite that, the people of Assam have shown great resilience. Even when they were spending days in relief camps, they were very positive," Haga said after visiting the flood-affected areas.
With nearly 88,000 people still affected across 10 districts, she said that even though flood waters were receding, the ground reality remained grim. "Red Cross teams have provided first aid kits and medical care, distributed relief items and supported local authorities in their actions. Red Cross teams will continue to be in the communities to help the flood-hit people rebuild their lives," she added.
Diganta Bujarbaruah, general secretary of Indian Red Cross Society's (IRCS) Assam state branch, said that with the aid to be received from IRCS national headquarters this week, they will soon start dispatching relief kits to 2,500 families across five of the worst-hit districts. He added that women-headed households, families headed by differently-abled people and households which have been completely devastated by the floods are among the 2,500 families short-listed for urgent post-flood relief operations that is scheduled to commence from August 7.
"A family kit worth Rs 5,000 in kind with clothes, hygiene and kitchen set will be delivered to each of the selected families across Dhemaji, Lakhimpur, Majuli, Morigaon and Dhubri districts in the first phase. Two water purification units will be installed in Morigaon district to supply pure drinking water which will benefit 16,000 families in central Assam," he said.