Summary

• Torrential rain across Asia left millions of people homeless and killed nearly 3,000
• The continuous monsoon rains and cyclones caused misery right across the continent including China, Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, Nepal, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, and Vietnam, affecting some of the poorest populations in the world
• The Asia Floods Appeal was launched on 3 August 2007 to support emergency operations in the stricken countries. The appeal raised £638,000 net and the British Red Cross spent a further £295,000 from its Disaster Fund to support relief and recovery work in the affected countries
• Flash floods and landslides destroyed thousands of villages, huge swathes of farmland and vital roads
• The International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement is providing emergency relief to all the affected countries. Volunteers have delivered food, water, basic healthcare and sanitation to millions of families who lost everything in the floods
•  British Red Cross teams worked in Pakistan from mid-July to mid-September to prevent the outbreak of disease from poor sanitation as a result of the flooding.
• This appeal is now closed.

Red Cross Red Crescent response

The Red Cross Society of China (RCSC) and the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies provided emergency relief items to 400,000 people. They also provided material for 2,000 families to repair their homes.

Thanks to generous donations to the Asia Floods Appeal, the British Red Cross was able to give £150,000 to support relief and recovery work in China.

The floods affected 2.5 million people across Sindh and Baluchistan provinces, claiming more than 300 lives, and damaging or destroying 80,000 homes. Vast tracts of land in Baluchistan were ravaged by floods and Cyclone Yemyin, leaving 250,000 people homeless and a further 300,000 displaced. Bridges and roads were swept away in some areas, and overflowing flood canals destroyed farmland and villages.

Red Cross Red Crescent response

The Pakistan Red Crescent has been helping people affected by the flooding with the support of the Federation. Water, food, shelter, healthcare, sanitation and hygiene promotion were priorities. The Pakistan Red Crescent and the Federation distributed 13,000 food parcels and gave non-food items to 18,480 people. They also sent six mobile health teams which treated around 14,000 patients.

The British Red Cross deployed two emergency sanitation teams to Sindh Province, where delegates worked to promote good sanitation and hygiene following the floods.

The British Red Cross used more than £265,600 from its Disaster Fund to support relief work in Pakistan during the floods.

Red Cross Red Crescent response

The Indian Red Cross deployed 40 boats to deliver emergency relief, including food and hygiene items for at least 10,000 families, and local volunteers provided first aid. The Bihar state Branch, for example, was actively involved in search and rescue operations, assisting the local authorities. It also delivered tarpaulin sheets for shelter, kitchen items and clothes.

Thanks to generous donations to the Asia Floods Appeal, the British Red Cross was able to give £100,000 to replenish stock distributed as part of the emergency response.

Nearly five million people have been marooned in towns and villages in Bangladesh – which is a low-lying country prone to flooding. The Brahmaputra and Padma rivers burst their banks causing thousands of people to seek refuge on their rooftops.

Red Cross Red Crescent response

The Federation launched an appeal for nearly £3.2 million to support more than 240,000 families for an eight-month period. The Bangladesh Red Crescent worked tirelessly to help people move to safer places. Volunteers distributed emergency food, oral dehydration solutions and water purifying tablets to the affected population.

The British Red Cross gave £169,500 from the Asia Floods Appeal as well as £30,000 from the Disaster Fund to support relief work in Bangladesh

Floods and landslides caused by torrential monsoon rains have killed 96 people and affected more than 337,000 people in 28 districts of Nepal. An estimated 20,816 families have been displaced and as many as 38,067 houses damaged or destroyed. The southern districts of Banke, Bardiya, Dhanusa, Siraha and Saptari are worst affected.

Red Cross Red Crescent response

The Nepal Red Cross Society conducted rescue and relief operations in the affected areas. From the end of July, staff and volunteer teams distributed rice, sugar and noodles to nearly 24,000 families. They also distributed clothes and plastic sheets to almost 5,000 families affected. Relief distributions are expected to last at least until November 2007.

Thanks to generous donations to the Asia Floods Appeal, the British Red Cross was able to give £147,500 to support relief and recovery work in Nepal.

In early August, torrential rains and floods affected nine provinces of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK).

Red Cross Red Crescent response

The DPRK Red Cross Society mobilised tens of thousands of volunteers to evacuate and assist in the impending flooding, and immediately responded with relief supplies for those severely hit.

The Federation’s emergency appeal, which was launched on 20 August, aims to improve basic health care by providing emergency health kits, cholera kits, first aid kits and other medical items to selected health care facilities. It also includes chlorine to purify water, which would be provided to 22 counties with health promotion and education activities. Non-food relief items from the emergency stock were immediately distributed to 22,899 families.

Thanks to generous donations to the Asia Floods Appeal, the British Red Cross was able to give £30,000 to support the Federation’s appeal for the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.

In mid-August 2007 floods devastated central provinces of Vietnam, an area which was again badly affected by Typhoon Lekima on 3 and 4 October. The typhoon brought strong winds of up to 130 km/hour and heavy rainfall, particularly affecting the provinces of Ha Tinh and Quang Binh. Six provinces were already under water as result of incessant rainfall over the three days before the typhoon struck.

Red Cross Red Crescent response

Since the devastating rains in August, the Vietnam Red Cross has supported communities in affected areas with the provision of household kits, emergency food, and support for returning to their homes and recovering their livelihoods.

Thanks to generous donations to the Asia Floods Appeal, the British Red Cross was able to give £36,000 to support relief and recovery work in Vietnam.

Last updated 15 October 2007