India

U.S. Ambassador to India Timothy J. Roemer visits areas affected by flash floods in India’s Leh District to distribute blankets to affected families.

Balaka Dey/USAID

In mid-September 2011, heavy monsoon rains resulted in flooding in Orissa State, India. Within two weeks, a second round of floods resulting from a tropical depression in the Bay of Bengal inundated 19 of Orissa’s 30 districts. In response to heavy rainfall and to prevent breakage, authorities released water from the Rengali dam, exacerbating flooding in low-lying areas. As of October 18, flooding had affected more than 2 million people and resulted in 42 deaths, according to the U.S. Embassy in New Delhi. Floods also affected approximately 552,000 acres of cropland in Orissa.

USG HUMANITARIAN FUNDING PROVIDED IN FY 2012

*This figure includes funding for both disaster response and disaster risk reduction activities. (As of August 13, 2012)

East Asia and Pacific Tsunami and Storms Fact Sheet #5 (79kb PDF) 

Key Developments

On October 18, 2011, U.S. Chargé d’Affaires, a.i., A. Peter Burleigh reissued a disaster declaration due to the effects of the floods to allow for continued humanitarian response in FY 2012. In response, USAID/OFDA provided nearly $500,000 for the distribution of temporary shelter kits, hygiene supplies, and other relief items to affected families.  USAID/OFDA also provided cash grants to enable displaced families to rebuild their houses, as well as vouchers to purchase seeds to mitigate flood-related crop loss.