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U.S. Provides Humanitarian Relief to
Flood Victims in Western India
August 05, 2005
New Delhi -- The United States Embassy
announced today it is providing Rs. 43.4 lakhs (USD
100,000) for humanitarian relief for the victims
of the floods resulting from the heavy monsoon
rains in Gujarat, Maharashtra, and other affected
states.
In a letter to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh
today, Charge d’Affaires Robert O. Blake expressed
on behalf of the people and government of the
United States his sincere condolences to the
people of India in the face of the severe floods.
Out of this contribution, USD 50,000 will go to
the Prime Minister's National Relief Fund. The
balance will support oral rehydration salts (ORS)
provision through local NGOs among the hard-hit
population. The Charge d’Affaires added that the
United States stands willing to assist India in
any other way that would be helpful.
These funds have been made available from the
Ambassador's Humanitarian Relief Fund and are
provided through the U.S. Agency for International
Development's (USAID) Office of U.S. Foreign
Disaster Assistance.
Responding to the disaster, USAID worked with
corporate and NGO partners to provide ORS packets
and Safewat, a water disinfectant, to affected
areas. Through its ongoing technical cooperation for
institutional capacity building, USAID is supporting
the Government of India-United Nations Development
Programme’s (UNDP) Disaster Risk Management Project
aimed at strengthening community level preparedness
in western India, including the flood-affected
districts in Maharashtra and Gujarat states, among
others.
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