Brussels, 14/10/2011 (Agence Europe) - The European Commission is to provide €3 million in emergency aid to help the victims of the monsoon floods in India, it was announced on Thursday 13 October. The funding, from the budget of ECHO, the Commission's humanitarian aid and civil protection wing, will help meet the most pressing humanitarian needs - food assistance, shelter, water and sanitation, and basic household items - of the most vulnerable, such as low caste and tribal communities, religious minorities, single-parent families, the disabled, children and the sick and elderly.
“The floods are threatening the lives of tens of thousands of already weakened and susceptible people in India. Homes, crops and livelihoods have been lost and needs exceed the government's response capacity”, said International Cooperation, Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Response Commissioner Kristalina Georgieva in a press release.
The flooding, following on from heavy monsoon rainfall, has affected 4 million people in Eastern India. Between 200,000 and 300,000 displaced people are in urgent need of humanitarian relief. The Commission aid will be channelled by ECHO's partner humanitarian organisations on the ground. In 2011, the Commission has allocated €1.1 million for disaster prevention and disaster risk reduction in India. (AN/transl.rt)