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Floods in Bihar
A breach of the eastern embankment of the
Kosi river in the Indo-Nepal border, following heavy monsoon rains in August,
has led to extensive floods in Bihar. The
river has changed its course and shifted 120 kms eastwards inundating many
districts.
About 4.8 million people in nearly 2600
villages are affected by the floods. The worst hit districts are Supaul,
Madehpura, Katihar, Saharsa and Araria.
Till date, over one million people have
been evacuated from the affected areas. Army and Navy used boats and
helicopters to evacuate the marooned people and provide them relief
materials, water and food.
Nearly 423,000 people have been
accommodated in 407 relief camps. As many as 409 health centres have been
opened and 177 medical teams deployed in the affected areas. The risk of
water and vector borne diseases is high in these places.
WHO is working with the UN Disaster
Management Team, the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, and with
the Bihar State Department of Health in responding to this emergency.
WHO has sent emergency health kits to
Madhepura and Supaul. Designed to meet the first primary health care needs of
displaced population without medical facilities, the kits can treat nearly
60,000 people for up to three months.
In addition to the WHO staff located at the
centre, around 100 WHO-National Polio Surveillance Project (NPSP) personnel
working in the affected districts are collaborating with the authorities in
relief operations. They are assisting the district health officials in
day-to-day planning and monitoring of medical relief and collecting
information about the existing relief camps and functional health care centers.
The NPSP personnel are assisting in
communicable disease surveillance for early detection of outbreaks. They are assisting in organizing
immunizations for measles, polio and Tetanus Toxoid, and administration of
Vitamin A supplement and ORS at the relief camps. WHO has provided immunization guidelines
and IEC material to the state government.
The NPSP personnel are assisting the state
in planning and monitoring of chlorination campaigns in coordination with
other agencies, using the polio vaccination micro-plans to identify village
and community workers.
The NPSP is also assessing medical needs at
the relief camps to help the district authorities plan and ensure adequate
stocks and supply of medicines. The NPSP personnel are assisting the authorities
in monitoring the availability of healthcare, stock of medicines, drinking
water conditions and sanitation at the camps. In some districts, NPSP is
coordinating water sampling and monitoring availability of food at the relief
camps.
The NPSP personnel are also training health
workers in reaching out to the community on general health and sanitation
issues. The NPSP has offered the use
of its office space and communication equipments. Its administrative staff is helping the
authorities’ collect, collate and manage health information on a daily basis.
The NPSP personnel are attending the daily
meetings of the health secretary in the state capital as well as with
district officials to assess the health situation and share feedback. They
are also updating WHO country office in Delhi
with day-to-day reports of the field situation.
WHO has provided US $12,000 to the Indian
Red Cross for logistical support to facilitate the prompt delivery of relief
material, including safe drinking water, tents and clothing. WHO
has also provided chloroscopes and insecticide treated bed nets to the state.
WHO is planning to collaborate with VIMHANS
and Darbhanga Medical College
for training Community Level Workers in providing psycho social support to
affected people.
Further details may be found on the SITREP
reports of the Ministry of Home Affairs, the Disaster Management Division, on
the following website: http://www.ndmindia.nic.in
Related Links:
1. National Disaster Management, India
2. Indian Red Cross Society
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