South Asian flooding crisis 'to continue'
Tuesday, 07 Aug 2007 18:34
Asian floods are affecting millions
The flooding crisis in south Asia is showing no signs of abating, charity ActionAid has warned.
According to the World Health Organisation 30 million people have now been affected by the recent flooding in eastern India, Bangladesh and Pakistan. ActionAid believes this number is likely to increase in the next few weeks.
In Bangladesh, it warns that flood waters receding in the north are due to reach the capital, Dhaka, in the next seven days.
The Indian state of Assam has seen areas typically protected from the monsoon flooding affected because rivers are breaching usually strong embankments in over 50 places.
And in Pakistan, heavy rains are forecast in the south as the country reels from cyclone Yemyin in June. Thousands are still homeless from that event, which affected 2.5 million people.
"The situation will worsen if the rains hit back, which is expected in the middle of the week", ActionAid's regional manager in Assam, Mrinal Gohain, said.
In the western state of Maharashtra, which until recently was suffering from a severe drought, workers are warning that flood levels are still rising.
ActionAid says it has distributed food, medicines and shelter materials across the region, but there remain fears that the aftermath of the flooding will see the onset of epidemics of various waterborne diseases.
Harjeet Singh of ActionAid India said: "Even if the rains stop, the danger remains, as flood water increases the risk of malaria and encephalitis.
"We are still in the middle of the monsoon season but the flood response is already running short of time and money," he warned.