Caritas helps flood-affected villages in northeastern India ‎

Caritas the social arm of the Catholic Church is supporting flood-hit villages in northeast India following heavy rains and landslides that hit more than 70,000 people.  In response to the situation, Caritas India has rushed support to 12 villages in Lakhimpur district in the state of Assam. There, they organized free medical camps and distributed "hygiene kits" that include antibacterial soap, shampoo, toothpaste, to about 1,000 flood-affected families.

A depression last week in the Bay of Bengal moved in to Bangladesh and beyond to northeast India bringing in torrential rains causing floods and landslides, especially in hilly areas. 

"We are also planning to distribute mosquito nets to the affected families," Thangsha Sebastian, state officer for northeastern unit of Caritas India, told UCANEWS on Tuesday.  Sebastian said that in many places there is still a foot of stagnant water in village houses.  "The situation is very unpredictable as the rivers are flowing above the danger mark and another spell of rain can increase the floods and worsen the situation even more," he said.

The government says that 22 people have died due to landslides, drowning or electrocution caused by the continued rains and flooding in Assam and neighboring Meghalaya since last week.  Five districts of Assam have been severely affected by the floods. Nearly 4,000 people are reported to have been displaced in the state in the past 24 hours.

Meanwhile, the district administrations in Assam have expressed concern over the situation as Brahmaputra, Dhansiri and Jia Bhoroli rivers have swollen to dangerous levels.   (Source: UCAN)