Patna, India, Jul 19, 2019 / 09:44 am
Catholic Relief Services is working with local partners to provide aid amid severe flooding and landslides in parts of India, Nepal, and Bangladesh, the group said Thursday.
"The most immediate need right now is clean water and food," said Caroline Brennan, director of communications for CRS' humanitarian response team, in a July 18 statement.
"With wells flooded, people aren't able to access water that's safe to drink, safe to bathe with, or safe to give to their livestock. Until the water recedes, people in the heavily affected areas are going to need ways of getting enough food to feed their families. Their livelihoods, especially for farmers, are also at risk," she said.
Heavy rainfall, beginning over a week ago, has led to flooding and landslides that have cut off routes for emergency aid, CRS says, necessitating the use of boats to provide aid in some areas. The aid group UNICEF estimates that more than 12 million people, including about five million children have been affected.