Jammu and Kashmir
On August 6, 2010, an overnight cloudburst caused torrential rain, flash floods, and mud slides in Leh town and adjoining villages. The present death toll has reached 166 while 400 people remain missing and about 85,000 people have been affected. Leh town lies at an altitude of 11,499 feet. Officials believe the death toll will continue to rise. Witnesses report that hundreds of houses, government buildings, the main bus station, and telephone towers have been destroyed. There is severe damage to the highway system, power has been disrupted and the main civil hospital in Leh, SNM Hospital, has sustained flooding damages.
AmeriCares India relief workers Bret McEvoy and Chandrakant Deshpande have arrived at Leh from the AmeriCares India main office in Mumbai, hand-carrying essential medicines including antibiotics, painkillers, analgesics and items specific for pediatric usage. Additionally, as access to potable water becomes of increasing concern, AmeriCares India will be bringing anti-diarrheal medicines, oral rehydration solutions and water purification tablets to both treat and prevent water-borne illnesses.
AmeriCares India will be coordinating its efforts alongside the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) and will be delivering these critical medicines to medical staff operating on the ground in the affected areas. AmeriCares India relief workers are working with local partners to perform an assessment of health-related needs and to determine ways that AmeriCares India can support the community’s recovery.
Photo courtesy: https://www.flickr.com/photos/keedap/3683215593 / CC BY-NC 2.0